Colleges, universities and scientific institutions unite in leaving "X"
As a far-reaching signal for the strengthening of democracy and academia, Furtwangen University, together with more than 50 other German-speaking universities and research institutions, today announced the termination of its activities on “X” (formerly Twitter).
According to the joint statement of the colleges and universities, “The withdrawal is a consequence of the incompatibility of the current orientation of the platform with the fundamental values of the participating institutions − open-mindedness, academic principles, transparency and democratic discourse. The changes to “X” − from the algorithmic amplification of right-wing populist content, to the restriction of organic reach − make further use unjustifiable for the organisations involved.”
Since the takeover by Elon Musk, the former Twitter network has changed dramatically. Studies and observations show that the platform prioritises right-wing populist content and deliberately disadvantages democratic voices. The role that X plays in political events through the algorithmic amplification of right-wing content is particularly worrying. Musk recently made a corresponding election recommendation for the general election in Germany. By withdrawing, the universities are not only avoiding the monetisation and instrumentalisation of their content, they are also sending a clear signal against anti-democratic and anti-academic forces.
For HFU President Dr. Alexandra Bormann, it was without question that Furtwangen University would take part in the joint university campaign. “Our university stands for academic excellence. This includes freedom of thought and a plurality of perspectives and discourses. Our students strengthen their ability to reflect critically during their studies. We do not support media that deliberately distort and narrow perspectives. Tolerance and practiced democracy are fundamental values that define us as a university. We have been reducing our activities on X and Twitter for some time and have been following the development of the platform with a critical eye. The time has now come for Furtwangen University and numerous other academic institutions to distance ourselves unequivocally from this platform.”
Furtwangen University continues to be active on social media, operating channels on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Xing. “Of course we will remain active on social media. Because false information and content that threatens democracy is also changing the tone on other platforms, it is our responsibility to counteract this with fact-based communication,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrike Salat, Vice-President for Partnership and Society at HFU. Accordingly, the current developments at the Meta Group, which recently announced that it would initially dispense with fact checks in the USA, will continue to be closely monitored.
HFU has taken its leave from X with one final post − “Time to explore new avenues − we are terminating our activities on X. Stay in contact with us on our other channels. #eXit #WissXit #ByeByeX #QuitX.”
External link opens in a new window:To the joint press release