The Guardian, is no longer posting on X saying the platform is “toxic," mentioning an increase in disturbing content on the site.

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Karah Rucker Anchor

Tech

The Guardian leaves X citing ‘conspiracies and racism’

Nov 13, 2024

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Video Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

Social media platform X is seeing record traffic since the election, but it’s also seeing some high-profile deactivations in a statement against the politics of owner Elon Musk. The Guardian, a left-leaning British newspaper, is no longer posting on X, saying the social media platform is “toxic” and home to “far-right conspiracies and racism.”

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Its X profile, with nearly 11 million followers, states the account “has been archived.”

In its announcement, The Guardian said, “We think that the benefits of being on x are now outweighed by the negatives and that resources could be better used promoting our journalism elsewhere.”

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Among other high-profile post-election exits, actress Jamie Lee Curtis posted to Instagram a screenshot of her X account being deactivated. She included the caption, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference.”

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A post shared by Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis)

CNN host, Don Lemon made a departure announcement, as well.

“I once believed that it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose,” Lemon said.

Here's why I'm leaving Twitter… pic.twitter.com/VIope68L2k
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) November 13, 2024

Jay Rosen, who’s a New York University professor, is also capturing attention over his departure from X.

In his sign-off from posting on the app, he told users to find him on Bluesky instead.

I will keep my X account open. It's a surprisingly good way to reach academics when I have a question. But I will not be participating in the discourse.

You can follow me at Bluesky: @jayrosen.bsky.social

Don't expect the press criticism I had been doing. I'm done with that. 2/
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) November 8, 2024

That’s a common theme from some of the X users leaving the app and migrating over to Bluesky.

According to digital marketing company Similarweb, 115,000 users deactivated their X accounts on the day after the election. That’s the largest single-day exit from the app since Musk took over X.

Meanwhile, Bluesky is gaining traction in a post election world, adding 1 million users since Election Day, according to the company.

That’s a significant bump given it has a total of 15 million users.

In September, Bluesky had 9 million users.

And as of Wednesday, Nov. 13, B luesky is sitting at No. 1 in social networking apps in the App Store.

While it is seen as a competitor app to X, it still has a ways to go to catch up to X’s traction and base of 600 million monthly users.

Despite 100,000 accounts deactivating the day after the election, X had many successes coming off of the night too.

There were 42.3 million visits from within the U.S. and 46 million visits the day after – the most traffic the site has seen all year.

X also saw more posts on its site than ever before, posting a record-high usage with 942 million posts on the platform on Election Day.

Tags: conspiracy theories, Election, Elon Musk, Journalism, London, Racism, Twitter, United Kingdom, X

[Karah]

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM “X” HAS SEEN RECORD TRAFFIC SINCE THE ELECTION –

BUT ITS ALSO SEEING SOME HIGH-PROFILE DEACTIVATIONS IN A STATEMENT AGAINST THE POLITICS OF OWNER ELON MUSK.

THE GUARDIAN – A LEFT-LEANING BRITISH NEWSPAPER –

IS NO LONGER POSTING ON X –

SAYING THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM IS QUOTE “TOXIC” AND HOME TO “FAR-RIGHT CONSPIRACIES AND RACISM.”

ITS X PROFILE – WITH NEARLY 11 MILLION FOLLOWERS – STATES THE ACCOUNT “HAS BEEN ARCHIVED.”

IN ITS ANNOUNCEMENT – THE GUARDIAN SAYS –

“WE THINK THAT THE BENEFITS OF BEING ON X ARE NOW OUTWEIGHED BY THE NEGATIVES AND THAT RESOURCES COULD BE BETTER USED PROMOTING OUR JOURNALISM ELSEWHERE”.

AMONG OTHER HIGH-PROFILE “POST-ELECTION EXITS” –

ACTRESS JAMIE LEE CURTIS POSTED TO INSTAGRAM A SCREENSHOT OF HER X ACCOUNT BEING DEACTIVATED –

WITH THE CAPTION –

“GOD, GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE. COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN. AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

AND JAY ROSEN IS ALSO CAPTURING ATTENTION OVER HIS DEPARTURE – AN NYU PROFESSOR WITH MORE THAN 300 THOUSAND FOLLOWERS ON X.

IN HIS “SIGN OFF” FROM POSTING ON THE APP –

HE TOLD USERS TO FIND HIM ON “BLUE SKY” INSTEAD.

THAT’S A COMMON THEME FROM SOME OF THE X USERS LEAVING THE APP –

MIGRATING OVER TO “BLUE SKY.”

ACCORDING TO DIGITAL MARKETING COMPANY “SIMILAR WEB” –

115 THOUSAND USERS DEACTIVATED THEIR X ACCOUNTS ON THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION –

THE LARGEST SINGLE-DAY EXIT FROM THE APP SINCE MUSK TOOK OVER X.

MEANWHILE “BLUE SKY” IS GAINING TRACTION IN A POST ELECTION WORLD –

ADDING ONE MILLION USERS SINCE ELECTION DAY ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY.

THAT’S A SIGNIFICANT BUMP GIVEN IT HAS A TOTAL OF 15 MILLION USERS.

IN SEPTEMBER – BLUE SKY HAD 9 MILLION USERS.

AND AS OF WEDNESDAY – ITS POST-ELECTION STRIDE CONTINUES –

SITTING AT NUMBER ONE IN SOCIAL NETWORKING APPS IN THE APPLE STORE.

WHILE ITS SEEN AS A COMPETITOR APP TO X –

IT STILL HAS A WAYS TO GO TO CATCH UP TO X’S TRACTION AND BASE OF 600 MILLION MONTHLY USERS.

DESPITE 100 THOUSAND ACCOUNTS DEACTIVATING THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION –

X HAD MANY SUCCESSES COMING OFF OF THE NIGHT TOO.

THERE WERE 42.3 MILLION VISITS FROM WITHIN THE U.S.

AND 46 MILLION VISITS THE DAY AFTER –

THE MOST TRAFFIC THE SITE HAS SEEN ALL YEAR.

X ALSO SAW MORE POSTS ON ITS SITE THAN EVER BEFORE –

POSTING A “RECORD-HIGH USAGE” WITH 942 MILLION POSTS ON THE PLATFORM ON ELECTION DAY.

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The Guardian leaves X citing ‘conspiracies and racism’

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