German universities quit X after Musk’s conversation with AfD leader

Dozens of universities and research institutions in Germany and Austria have announced their intention to stop their presence on the social network X (Twitter) in protest against Elon Musk’s conversation with the leader of the Alternative for Germany, Alice Weidel. This was reported by DW.

In a statement, more than 60 scientific and research institutions in Germany and Austria, which include some of the most prestigious universities in Germany, said that X (Twitter) is pursuing a course that contradicts their principles.

“The withdrawal is a consequence of the incompatibility of the current orientation of the platform with the fundamental values of the institutions involved: impartiality, scientific integrity, transparency, and democratic discourse,” they said.

The statement also said that Twitter’s X algorithm enhances the spread of right-wing populist content, restricting other views, making any further use of the platform unacceptable.

The German government, in turn, said that X (Twitter) and other social networks use algorithms that do not contribute to “calm, objective, and balanced discourse but rather tend to agitate and polarize.”

A spokeswoman for the German government said that the government is in an ongoing discussion about whether to leave the platform but has decided to stay for now, given the wide audience.

In recent weeks, Elon Musk has been actively commenting on the political situation in European countries and directly calling for the resignation of the heads of government in the UK and Germany.

The day before, Musk had a conversation with the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany, Alice Weidel, on the X platform, during which they criticized the “leftism” in German education and bureaucracy and claimed that Hitler was a communist rather than a Nazi.

The Bundestag initiated an investigation into potential illegal donations to the AfD, which involved the party’s promotion during the election campaign.