The Green Party, SPD, and Linke have coordinated their withdrawal from the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. This collective decision was announced across the parties’ official and private accounts on the platform Monday.
According to the statements, the primary concern is that X is increasingly promoting disinformation and moving away from genuine public discourse and reliable information exchange.
The decision comes amid growing skepticism regarding the platform’s direction since US billionaire Elon Musk purchased and rebranded Twitter to X in October 2022. Critics note that protections against disinformation were systematically scaled back-ostensibly to promote “free speech”. Furthermore, Musk’s public support for right-wing populist movements and his strong association with US President Donald Trump have fueled long-standing considerations to disengage from the service.
The withdrawal affects the official accounts of the three parties, as well as the accounts of various Bundestag parliamentary groups and numerous political leaders, including the party and parliamentary spokespersons of the Greens. While these accounts are expected to be deactivated temporarily rather than deleted, the parties are also advising their own members and constituents to consider following suit, though the decision remains voluntary for individuals. For future digital discussions, the parties recommend utilizing alternative platforms, such as Bluesky.