Media Reform Group Ditches Musk’s ‘Toxic Twitter’ – Find Out Why!

The media monitoring organization Free Press declared on Thursday its decision to discontinue using the social media site previously known as Twitter, citing concerns regarding the new owner Elon Musk’s endorsement of harmful rhetoric, the rise in misleading information, and his increasing targeting of detractors.

This move aligns the group with over 100,000 U.S. users who have left Musk’s platform, X, since Donald Trump’s recent presidential election victory. Musk has actively leveraged the platform to support Trump and his campaign, endorsing him through tweets valued at $24 million, and disseminating false information about the Democratic Party and the reliability of the U.S. electoral system.

“For a considerable time, Free Press has been dedicated to challenging social media companies that amplify hatred and falsehoods, jeopardizing public health, safety, and democratic processes. We have advocated for substantial reforms to safeguard users and have thoroughly chronicled the shortcomings of these platforms. Under Elon Musk’s ownership, none have sunk as low as X,” stated the organization in their notice of departure.

“Musk has transformed X into a propaganda tool for racists, misogynists, xenophobes, antisemites, and transphobes.”

“Effective immediately, Free Press will cease all postings on X, and we encourage you to do the same,” they added. “We refuse to grant X any semblance of legitimacy.”

When Musk assumed control of Twitter two years ago, he reinstated accounts belonging to white supremacists and conspiracy theorists. Approximately a month into his leadership, he became the first to allow Trump to resume posting after the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

“Free Press is determined to ensure that individuals have a say in the decisions that shape our media environment. Simply put, Musk prefers to elevate his own voice and those who echo his extremist, bigoted ideologies,” stated Jessica J. González, co-CEO of Free Press. “Musk’s continuous poor management of the platform has put at risk those targeted by his attacks and endangered our democracy.”

Initially, upon Musk’s takeover, Free Press and other groups met with him to discuss strategies for protecting users from harassment. However, it soon became apparent that Musk was not addressing these concerns seriously, prompting Free Press and others to initiate an advertising boycott through the #StopToxicTwitter campaign, which ultimately reduced the site’s value by $35 billion. Musk retaliated by suing or threatening legal action against scholars and advocates who criticized the platform’s trajectory.

“Through our research, organizing, and advocacy, Free Press has strived to reform X,” González remarked. “We recall the potential it once had, allowing ordinary individuals direct access to speak to power and foster community. However, it’s evident that X will not change its course under Musk’s leadership, prompting Free Press to withdraw.”

Independent studies indicated that X’s U.S. user base had been declining even before Trump’s victory, with the percentage of the population reporting usage of the site falling nearly one-third between 2023 and 2024. The platform experienced its most significant single-day drop in U.S. users the day after the election, with over 115,000 people deactivating their accounts. Globally, the platform lost an additional 281,600 users. Meanwhile, its competitor, Bluesky, gained 1 million new users in the week following the election.

X also recorded its highest U.S. traffic of the year on November 6, at 46.5 million. David Carr of Similarweb recently discussed how these trends might stabilize over the coming months:

Some users vowing to abandon the X service might simply stop using it or use it less, without formally deactivating their accounts. It remains to be seen whether there will be a noticeable decrease in X’s audience due to political reasons. By the weekend, X usage had returned to levels typical of the past year.

Nevertheless, X’s recent daily peak in U.S. traffic does not compensate for the audience erosion the service has experienced over the past few years since Musk’s acquisition.

In the week after the election, several notable journalists, activists, and writers also announced their exit from X, including climate activist Bill McKibben, historian Heather Cox Richardson, novelist Stephen King, journalism professor Jay Rosen, and media outlet The Guardian.

The Guardian explained on Wednesday, “We have long considered leaving due to the often disturbing content promoted on the platform, including extreme-right conspiracy theories and racism. The U.S. presidential election campaign only emphasized our long-held view: that X is a toxic media platform and its owner, Elon Musk, has utilized it to influence political discourse extensively.”

Journalist Don Lemon provided an additional reason for his departure: a change in the terms of service set to take effect on Friday, which mandates that all legal actions against the company be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, rather than the Western District.

“As reported by The Washington Post regarding X’s decision to alter its terms, this ‘ensures that such lawsuits will be heard in courts that are a stronghold for conservatives, which experts believe could make it easier for X to protect itself from litigation and penalize critics,'” Lemon stated.

However, not all critics of Musk and Trump are prepared to leave the site.

“I haven’t left X/Twitter—at least not yet—despite its morally reprehensible management by Musk, because I believe that during this national crisis, those of us who aspire for a better America need to maintain connections in any way we can, and many friends are still active there,” wrote Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch. “However, creating a new, engaged social network on Bluesky will be a significant focus as we move into 2025 to rebuild American democracy from the aftermath of recent events.”