German armed forces withdraw from X
The Bundeswehr and the German Defense Ministry have abandoned Elon Musk’s platform, citing difficulties in engaging in “factual exchanges” on X. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Berlin’s Defense Ministry is withdrawing from Elon Musk’s platform, citing concerns that “factual exchange” is becoming increasingly difficult.
The German Defense Ministry and the Army have declared they will cease posting on X – previously known as Twitter – arguing that the platform under Musk's leadership hinders honest discourse. Musk has been vocal in criticizing the German government, describing it as promoting the “woke mind virus” and steering the nation toward disaster. He even endorsed the Alternative for Germany party and conducted a live interview with its leader, Alice Weidel, on his platform earlier this week.
The Defense Ministry stated on Wednesday, “We will leave our X-channel dormant until further notice and will not post anything actively for the time being,” adding that the decision stems from the increasing difficulty in achieving a factual exchange on the platform.
In a statement on the ministry’s website, it outlined plans to continue public communication through press releases, a WhatsApp group, YouTube, Instagram, and “other social media.” The Bundeswehr reserves the right to post on X in response to “disinformation campaigns.”
This decision follows the announcement that over 60 German universities and research institutes will also exit X, citing “increasing radicalization” on the platform. Additionally, two labor unions and the nation’s top federal court have parted ways with the site.
Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022, criticizing previous management for excessive censorship, and later rebranded the platform as X. Subsequent findings revealed that Twitter's former executives had collaborated closely with the government to suppress dissenting opinions.
Despite the backlash, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will continue using X “for the time being,” as communicated by his spokesman. “It's a difficult balance to strike,” the spokesperson acknowledged, referring to X as “not without controversy.”
This “controversy” primarily surrounds Musk’s support for AfD and his interview with Weidel. He previously endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential bid in the US last year, leading to his victory in November.
The AfD has faced long-standing claims of “extremism” from the establishment, but its popularity has surged lately, particularly due to its stances on immigration and economic issues. Following the collapse of Scholz’s “traffic light” coalition in November, Germans will head to the polls for a new parliament in late February.
Since Musk's $44 billion acquisition, advocates for “fact-checking” and removal of “disinformation” have sought to create alternatives like Threads and Bluesky, yet none have made a significant impact on X’s user base.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
The German Defense Ministry and the Army have declared they will cease posting on X – previously known as Twitter – arguing that the platform under Musk's leadership hinders honest discourse. Musk has been vocal in criticizing the German government, describing it as promoting the “woke mind virus” and steering the nation toward disaster. He even endorsed the Alternative for Germany party and conducted a live interview with its leader, Alice Weidel, on his platform earlier this week.
The Defense Ministry stated on Wednesday, “We will leave our X-channel dormant until further notice and will not post anything actively for the time being,” adding that the decision stems from the increasing difficulty in achieving a factual exchange on the platform.
In a statement on the ministry’s website, it outlined plans to continue public communication through press releases, a WhatsApp group, YouTube, Instagram, and “other social media.” The Bundeswehr reserves the right to post on X in response to “disinformation campaigns.”
This decision follows the announcement that over 60 German universities and research institutes will also exit X, citing “increasing radicalization” on the platform. Additionally, two labor unions and the nation’s top federal court have parted ways with the site.
Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022, criticizing previous management for excessive censorship, and later rebranded the platform as X. Subsequent findings revealed that Twitter's former executives had collaborated closely with the government to suppress dissenting opinions.
Despite the backlash, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will continue using X “for the time being,” as communicated by his spokesman. “It's a difficult balance to strike,” the spokesperson acknowledged, referring to X as “not without controversy.”
This “controversy” primarily surrounds Musk’s support for AfD and his interview with Weidel. He previously endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential bid in the US last year, leading to his victory in November.
The AfD has faced long-standing claims of “extremism” from the establishment, but its popularity has surged lately, particularly due to its stances on immigration and economic issues. Following the collapse of Scholz’s “traffic light” coalition in November, Germans will head to the polls for a new parliament in late February.
Since Musk's $44 billion acquisition, advocates for “fact-checking” and removal of “disinformation” have sought to create alternatives like Threads and Bluesky, yet none have made a significant impact on X’s user base.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
