British news outlet, The Guardian, announced it will stop posting on X, formerly Twitter, due to disturbing content such as racism and conspiracy theories. With 10.7 million followers, the Guardian becomes the first major UK media group to withdraw from Elon Musk’s platform, which he acquired in 2022.
Critics argue that Musk’s relaxed moderation has allowed false information and hate speech to spread across X.
The Guardian stated, “The negatives of staying on X now outweigh the benefits. Our resources are better used promoting journalism on other platforms.” They added that disturbing content, including far-right conspiracy theories and racism, influenced this decision.
In response, Musk called the Guardian “irrelevant” in a post on X. Musk, who recently supported Donald Trump in the U.S. election, claims to be a free speech advocate.
Trump recently appointed Musk to a government efficiency role following his election win.
X and similar platforms came under scrutiny in the UK this year after false online posts about a tragic incident in Southport fueled far-right violence.
Last month, Reuters reported that a British police force stopped posting on X, with others reviewing their presence. Many British charities and educational institutions have also stopped using X recently.
The UK government still posts on X but avoids paid advertising on the platform, instead choosing to advertise on Meta’s Instagram and Facebook, according to a government source.
