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Ferda Ataman, Independent Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination
Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
"No longer justifiable": In a detailed thread on X, the former Twitter, as well as in a press release, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency explains why it will leave the platform. Thus, "due to the enormous increase in transphobia and queerphobia, racism, misogyny, anti-Semitism and other misanthropic content (...) X is no longer a sustainable environment for the profile of a public body from our point of view".
On the one hand, the number of hate comments has risen so massively that the Anti-Discrimination Agency can "only deal with it with a high level of human resources". It is questionable "whether this can still be justified with taxpayers' money".
On the other hand, the question arises as to which target groups it can still reach on X. The focal point was set up to support people who are affected by discrimination. It provides information on discrimination and what possible countermeasures can be taken, conducts scientific research and reports to the German Bundestag.
»It is hardly possible to distinguish between reputable and non-reputable sources«
The anti-discrimination agency Elon Musk, who took over Twitter almost a year ago and has since renamed it X, makes serious accusations. Hate speech and disinformation have increased since then, right-wing extremist accounts that were once blocked have been unblocked and the verification system has been commercialized. For example, organized pro-Russian actors "apparently bought verification checkmarks" to spread propaganda, increase their reach and influence debates. Since then, it has been "hardly possible to distinguish between reputable and non-reputable sources."
In addition, the federal institution points out that Musk's company withdrew from the voluntary EU agreement to combat disinformation on the Internet in May: "This suggests that there is a lack of will to counter disinformation."
The Anti-Discrimination Agency has "a role model function as a state institution," said the Independent Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination, Ferda Ataman. Therefore, it is no longer justifiable to remain on X. In addition, "all ministries and other public bodies" should ask themselves "whether it is still sustainable to remain on a platform that has become a disinformation network and whose owner spreads anti-Semitic, racist and populist content."
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