Recent decisions by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and X owner Elon Musk have prompted many users to delete their accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X. While Zuckerberg has ended his collaboration with third-party fact-checkers, Musk is causing outrage with his erratic statements and the loosening of moderation guidelines. The result: a massive migration to alternative platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon.
Controversial decisions at Meta and X
Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement to replace fact-checking on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads with a community-driven system has been met with fierce criticism. Many users fear this could open the door to disinformation and hate speech. Zuckerberg justifies the decision by saying it’s aimed at promoting “free speech,” but critics see it as a step back to the days before increased moderation.
Elon Musk has also taken similar measures at X: Since his takeover, numerous moderation policies have been relaxed, leading to a rise in problematic content. In addition, Musk’s public outbursts, including offensive tweets, conspiracy theories, and attacks on critics, have not only shaken confidence in the platform but also caused many users to turn their backs on X.
More on the topic
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- Meta’s Threads reach 175 million users after just one year
- Meta faces challenges in the EU: Abolition of the fact-checking program meets with massive criticism
- New freedoms in the EU: Meta enables the decoupling of Facebook, Instagram and Messenger accounts
- Threads launches in Germany: How to get your ticket for December 14
A rapid increase in account deletions
According to Google Trends, searches for country email list terms like “delete Facebook account,” “deactivate Instagram account,” and “delete X account” have increased significantly in recent weeks. Searches for “delete meta account” alone increased by over 5,000%.
In Germany, numerous celebrities, institutions, and organizations have announced their withdrawal from Platform X (formerly Twitter). The main reasons include the spread of hate speech, disinformation, and right-wing extremist content since Elon Musk’s takeover. Here are some examples:
Prominent personalities:
Dunja Hayali : The television presenter one of the most dangerous mistakes online stores make participated in an open farewell letter criticizing the increasing spread of hate and incitement against X.
Sawsan Chebli : The politician and author joined X’s “eXit” and criticized the platform as a “toxic place.”
Anne Rabe : The writer signed the open farewell letter and left the platform due to the increasing spread of hate and incitement.
Jo Schück : The television presenter joined several celebrities in withdrawing from X to take a stand against the spread of hate speech and disinformation.
Jamila Schäfer : The Green Party member of the Bundestag announced her resignation from X and described the platform as a “breeding ground for right-wing extremism, science denial, hatred and conspiracy theories”.
Institutions and organizations:
Universities and colleges : Over 60 German universities and research institutes, including RWTH Aachen University, TU Dresden, and Freie Universität Berlin, have announced their withdrawal as part of the ” #WissXit ” campaign. They criticize the algorithmic amplification of right-wing populist content and the restriction of the reach of scientific contributions.
Memorials and museums : Some Nazi memorials, such as the NS Documentation Center in Munich and the House of the Wannsee Conference Memorial in Berlin, have announced their withdrawal from X because the platform has become increasingly toxic.
Sports clubs : Clubs such as SC Freiburg, Hansa Rostock and FC St. Pauli have deactivated their accounts because the platform is no longer compatible with their values.
Trade unions : The trade union ver.di and the Education and Science Union (GEW) have announced their withdrawal and criticise the platform as a forum for the dissemination of right-wing extremist positions and disinformation.
Doctors of the World and Kindernothilfe : These and 47 other organizations from the fields of environment, health, agriculture, human whatsapp database philippines rights, and social affairs suspended their activities on X on the International Day Against Hate Speech. They did so in response to the increase in violent, discriminatory, and disinformation content since Elon Musk took over the platform.
Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency : The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency has left the platform X. It justified this move with the increase in anti-trans and anti-queer, racist, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic content, which makes X an intolerable environment for a public body.
