German defence and foreign ministries depart from Elon Musk’s X platform
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US billionaire Elon Musk has been accused of meddling in European politics.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BERLIN - Germany's foreign and defence ministries said on Jan 15 they would refocus their public communications away from Elon Musk's X, with the defence department saying it had become increasingly "unhappy" with developments at the social media platform.
Mr Musk has been accused of meddling in European politics, to be replaced, an "incompetent fool",
Mr Musk, the world's richest man, has implied in his posts that he is criticising tendencies, such as immigration, that he believes threaten the future of the countries in question.
Neither German ministry specifically mentioned Mr Musk's interventions, most recently capped by a live interview on X
"We have become increasingly unhappy with developments there," a defence ministry spokesperson told a regular news conference.
The ministry said it might still respond to disinformation on X, but that its social communications would go via Meta's WhatsApp messenger.
A foreign ministry spokesperson said they continually monitor the platforms where they are present and the debates surrounding them, and as a result had decided to intensify their presence on upstart platform BlueSky.
X has said its user numbers have been rising since Mr Musk bought the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022, though polls and studies by research firms have found the opposite.
In recent weeks, a growing number of German and UK universities and research institutions have departed the platform.
The loss of institutions is potentially a more serious blow for social networks than individuals, as by contributing verified information, they contribute to the "network effects" that make a platform compelling as a place for discussion. REUTERS
