St. Pauli Football Club has become the first major sports club to leave Elon Musk’s X platform, citing concerns over misinformation and hate speech. Following the announcement, Werder Bremen also quit X, condemning Musk for facilitating negative behavior on the platform. Other Bundesliga clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and Hannover 96 are monitoring the situation for potential exits.
In addition to the sports world, celebrities like LeBron James have also left X, with the Los Angeles Lakers player taking an indefinite hiatus from social media due to negative reporting in the US media. Musk’s platform has been labeled a “hate machine” by critics, who accuse him of manipulating political discourse and allowing hate speech to flourish.
Despite the exodus, the full extent of users leaving X remains unclear due to limited data, but the trend of declining user numbers since Musk’s takeover in 2022 is evident. This has led to a surge in users for Bluesky, a decentralized social media platform that prioritizes blocking features to eliminate harassment and abuse.
Some experts argue that leaving X is necessary to create a healthier online environment where productive disagreements can take place. However, there is concern that the platform could fragment into echo chambers if users with differing political beliefs continue to leave.
Overall, the departure of major sports clubs and high-profile figures from X signals a growing backlash against the platform’s handling of misinformation and hate speech. It remains to be seen whether other European sports clubs will follow suit in abandoning Musk’s platform.
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