The Guardian withdraws from X, citing 'extremism, negativity'
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The Guardian is withdrawing from X, explaining that the benefits of being on the platform are now outweighed by the negatives.
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The opening page of X is displayed on a computer and phone, on October 16, 2023, in Sydney. (AP)
On Wednesday, The Guardian revealed it would cease posting on X, citing escalating concerns about the increasing negativity and extremism on the platform, which it feels outweigh the platform’s "former value" as a tool for journalism and audience interaction.
The decision comes as X is under increased scrutiny, particularly in light of the US presidential election.
The Guardian pointed to the surge in harmful content on X, including far-right conspiracy theories and incidents of racism, as key reasons for its decision to leave the platform.
Elon Musk, who bought the platform in 2022, has implemented changes that The Guardian suggests have contributed to a toxic media environment, significantly impacting political discourse.
The newspaper stated that "X now plays a diminished role in promoting our work," and noted that its resources would be better allocated to other platforms.
Additionally, The Guardian will stop using its official editorial accounts on X, stressing that users will still share its articles on the platform. It also noted that some X content might continue to be embedded in news articles on its website when relevant to ongoing events.
X's Community Notes fail to counter US election-related misinformation
Late last month, Musk's user-applied fact-checking feature on his X platform, Community Notes, reportedly failed to counter false information shared about the United States presidential elections, according to a study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) released on October 31.
The CCDH sampled 283 "misleading" posts on the platform and found that a total of 209, or 74%, did not show accurate Community Notes to all X users correcting the false claims made regarding the elections.
"The 209 misleading posts in our sample that did not display available Community Notes to all users have amassed 2.2 billion views," the report stated, urging X to invest in information transparency and safety.
This came after X lost a lawsuit to CCDH earlier this year, suing for increasingly allowing hate speech on the social media platform.
