The Guardian has declared that it will cease sharing content on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, from its official channels.
In a notice to its audience on Wednesday, November 13, the news outlet explained that the drawbacks of being active on the platform previously named Twitter had begun to surpass the advantages, mentioning the “frequently unsettling material” present there.
The Guardian operates over 80 accounts on X with roughly 27 million followers.
The publication noted that material on the platform included extreme right-wing conspiracy theories and racism. It further stated that the platform’s reporting on the US presidential election had solidified its resolution.
Advocacy groups against hate speech and the EU have reproached Musk, the planet’s wealthiest individual, regarding the content policies on the platform since his acquisition for $44 billion in 2022.
A self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” the Tesla founder has restored previously banned accounts, including those of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate, and British far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson.
The Guardian mentioned that users of X would still have the ability to disseminate its articles across the platform, and that posts from X might occasionally be integrated into its reporting as part of live coverage. Journalists would also be allowed to keep utilizing the platform for news-gathering purposes, the Guardian stated.
While the Guardian’s official accounts are retracting from X, there will be no limitations on individual journalists using the platform, aside from the organization’s current social media rules.
In reaction to the announcement, Musk remarked on X that the Guardian was “irrelevant” and a “laboriously vile propaganda machine.”