The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, announced on Monday that she is resigning from X (formerly Twitter), condemning the social media platform as a "gigantic global sewer" that poses a threat to democracies worldwide.
Hidalgo, who has held the position since 2014, expressed her decision in a detailed post, highlighting a documented increase in hate speech and disinformation on X following its acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk.
In her post, Hidalgo criticized the prevalence of controversy, rumors, and manipulation in public discourse on X, attributing it to the platform's algorithm that prioritizes the number of "likes" over factual information.
She asserted that the situation reflects a clear political agenda aimed at sidelining democracy and its values in favor of powerful private interests.
She wrote:
"Why I am leaving Twitter. I have made the decision to leave Twitter."
"Twitter, far from being the groundbreaking medium that initially made information accessible to the greatest possible number of people, has in recent years become an impressive tool for destroying our democracies."
"Whether it be manipulation, disinformation, the fostering of hatred, harassment, anti-Semitism and open racism, or vicious attacks on scientists, climatologists, women, environmentalists, liberals and all those of good will..."
"...who wish to engage in peaceful political debate in an increasingly complex world, the range of abuses is endless."
"Not to mention the daily external meddling in electoral processes, aimed at destabilizing our democracies and undermining their image and sovereignty."
"Today, controversy, rumor and crude manipulation rule public debate, fueled by Twitter's algorithm, where the only thing that counts is the number of 'likes'. Facts are irrelevant. This platform and its owner intentionally exacerbates tensions and conflicts."
"Furthermore, it intentionally hinders the information needed to bring about the ecological and energy transformation we much need, in favor of climate protectionist arguments driven by fossil fuel interests and boundless greed for the planet."
"We can keep denying, clarifying and explaining, but the noise produced by a piece of misinformation will still dwarf the echo of a proven truth. We must not deceive ourselves."
"We are dealing here with an utterly clear political project to push aside democracy and its values in favor of powerful private interests."
"The latest transparency report on content control, released by Twitter itself, ranks France first in Europe for violent and illegal content. This medium has become a gigantic global sewer, and we should continue to wade into it?"
"We see it every day: Twitter hinders debate, the quest for truth, and the serene and constructive dialogue needed between human beings. With its thousands of anonymous accounts and its troll farms, life on Twitter is the exact opposite of democratic life."
"I refuse to endorse this evil scheme. I believe deeply in democracy, which remains in the making. I believe in exchanges, in these difficult times."
"We should never accept the bullying of vile attacks. We should not allow the 'engineers of chaos' to seize control of our destinies. We should not accept the daily disintegration of our democracies on our screens."
"In March 2009, I was one of the first French women in politics to join this network, which today counts a community of over 1,500,000 subscribers worldwide."
"To remain true to my convictions and my commitment, I am leaving Twitter today. I will remain on other social media networks in which respectful exchanges can still take place: http://linktr.ee/anne_hidalgo"
"We need more than ever to keep real democracy alive, whether it be through town councils, town meetings, referendums, conferences or get-togethers. These are places where people see each other, argue, build together and simply live together."
"When all is dark, we need to reach for the light and those great spirits who, at certain times in our history, have shown us the way. 'We must learn to live together as brothers, or we will all die together as idiots', Martin Luther King told us in the early 1960s."
"We can trust each other and find our way back to democracy, peace and fraternity. It is in our hands."
Some encouraged her to stay on the platform.
@Anne_Hidalgo While your concerns about X's negative aspects are valid, consider staying for these reasons:\n\n1. As a prominent voice, your presence can counteract misinformation by providing factual insights, which is crucial in an era of disinformation;\n2. Your advocacy for democracy and\u2026— (@)
Others fully supported her decision.
X has faced intense scrutiny after Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on the platform, leading several major advertisers to suspend their business with the company.
Recent reports suggest that X could suffer a substantial loss of up to $75 million in ad revenue by the year's end. Musk, denying accusations of antisemitism, traveled to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to address concerns.
However, concerns persist that X, under Musk's ownership, has allowed the proliferation of hate speech and misinformation.
Notably, X has taken legal action against a watchdog group for defamation and issued threats against the Anti-Defamation League.
Hidalgo, despite facing her own share of online criticism, clarified that she will continue using other social media platforms but has chosen to distance herself from X in defense of democracy and the pursuit of truth.
Hidalgo emphasized the negative impact of Twitter on constructive dialogue and the search for truth, urging against allowing the "engineers of chaos" to control the destinies of individuals.
