A growing wave of organisations are abandoning Elon Musk's social media platform X, with The Guardian newspaper and German football club St Pauli becoming the latest high-profile departures this week.
The Guardian, with over 27 million followers across its accounts, announced it would stop posting on the platform due to concerns about "disturbing content" and far-right conspiracy theories.
St Pauli, the Hamburg-based Bundesliga club known for its left-wing supporter base, followed suit on Thursday, declaring that X had become "an amplifier of hate" under Musk's ownership.
Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia has also joined the exodus, describing X as an "echo chamber" for disinformation.
In a statement on its website, The Guardian said: "We think that the benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere."
The newspaper specifically cited concerns about "far-right conspiracy theories and racism" on the platform.
St Pauli have announced their departure from X
Reuters
The Guardian added that the recent US presidential election had reinforced their view of X as a "toxic media platform" where Musk has been able to "shape political discourse."
Whilst the newspaper's official accounts will be archived, individual reporters can still use the platform for news-gathering purposes, and users can continue sharing Guardian articles.
St Pauli's departure was particularly pointed, with the club stating: "Since taking over Twitter, Musk has converted X into a hate machine. Racism and conspiracy theories are allowed to spread unchecked and even curated."
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The German club, which has 250,000 followers, expressed specific concerns about X's potential influence on Germany's upcoming February parliamentary elections.
The club has encouraged its followers to switch to Bluesky, a rival social network championed by former Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey.
While St Pauli will no longer post new content, it will maintain its 11 years of previous posts online "in view of its contemporary historical value."
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The historic Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol has also announced its departure from X, citing "inappropriate content" and a "decrease in meaningful engagement" with followers.
The bridge's account, which provided updates about closures and its visitor centre, had been active on the platform for 15 years.
Some social media users mocked the decision, with one commenting: "A bridge is leaving a social media platform because it's against free speech. Beyond satire."
St Pauli have denounced Elon Musk after saying they are stepping away from X
Reuters
The bridge's management reassured the public they could still receive updates through their website and other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Several other organisations have recently quit X, including the Berlin Film Festival and North Wales police force.
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Elon Musk declared X to be a 'free speech' platform after purchasing the social media site
Reuters
Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said the platform "was no longer consistent with our values and therefore we have withdrawn our use of it."
Musk, who bought the platform for $44bn in 2022, describes himself as a "free speech absolutist."
