German soccer club St. Pauli has announced its decision to depart from the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, due to what it describes as a proliferation of hate speech that could potentially impact the upcoming German federal elections. The left-leaning Bundesliga club, based in Hamburg, made the announcement on Thursday, urging its 250,000 followers on the platform to transition to Bluesky, a competing social network endorsed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
In a statement posted on its website, St. Pauli expressed its rationale for the withdrawal, attributing it to the platform's transformation under the ownership of Elon Musk. The club accused Musk of turning X into a 'hate machine,' where racism, conspiracy theories, insults, and threats are allowed to propagate unchecked, often under the guise of freedom of expression. St. Pauli also highlighted Musk's past support for former U.S. President Donald Trump during the American presidential election, suggesting a potential influence on the German federal election campaign.
With Germany poised to hold early parliamentary elections on February 23 following the dismissal of Finance Minister Christian Lindner by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, St. Pauli's decision to exit X marks a significant move within the country's digital landscape. The club emphasized its stance against right-wing politics, symbolized by a sticker depicting a fist smashing a swastika alongside its emblem.
St. Pauli's departure from X aligns with a growing trend of disassociation from the platform, as British newspaper The Guardian recently announced its discontinuation of content sharing on X, citing it as a 'toxic media platform.' Meanwhile, Bluesky reported a surge in its user base, reaching 15 million users, up from approximately 13 million in October.
Despite its exit from X, St. Pauli stated that it would retain its historical content spanning over 11 years on the platform but refrain from making any new posts. The club's decision underscores a broader concern over the role of social media in shaping public discourse and political narratives, particularly in the context of critical events such as national elections.
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