Huge Spanish newspaper abandons X
Date
11/17/2024 6:25:00 AM
(MENAFN) Spanish newspaper *La Vanguardia* has announced it will cease publishing on Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter), citing the platform’s growing spread of conspiracy theories, disinformation, and a lack of effective content moderation. The historic daily, one of Spain’s oldest newspapers, said in a statement on Thursday that under Musk’s leadership, X had become a platform where harmful and toxic content—such as racism, misogyny, and human rights violations—thrives for the sake of profit.
The newspaper, which has 1.3 million followers on its main X account, accused Musk of dismantling traditional moderation teams that once kept such content in check. *La Vanguardia*’s head, Jordi Juan, described the decision to leave X as a “necessary gesture” to avoid contributing to the spread of harmful material. He specifically pointed to the platform’s role in amplifying conspiracy theories and fake news, particularly during recent US election cycles.
The decision came just a day after *The Guardian* also announced it would stop posting on X, condemning the platform as a toxic space for far-right ideologies. *La Vanguardia*’s withdrawal from the platform coincided with Trump’s announcement that Musk would co-lead a new US government efficiency department, raising further concerns about how Musk’s expanded role could influence X.
Musk acquired X in 2022 for $44 billion, rebranded it, and rolled back much of its content moderation policies, drawing widespread criticism for mismanagement—claims Musk has denied. Despite the exit, *La Vanguardia* will still monitor X for information-gathering purposes but will not require its journalists to remain active on the platform.
MENAFN17112024000045015687ID1108894358
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.