When the message becomes fascism, the medium is no longer viable.
I deleted my X (Twitter) account today, erasing +70,000 Tweets and 2.9GB of images and videos dating back to 2008. This broke a small part of the web, severing thousands of threads, conversations, and links far beyond the platform. When future archaeologists sift through the digital sediments of our interactions, they’ll find only gaps and broken links where my Tweets used to be.
To prevent impersonation, I created a new account and transferred my old handle. That way I could deactivate my old account and erase all its contents with a single click.
Link: How to Delete Your X/Twitter Account – a Step-by-Step Guide
I hate that I have to do this, but my values, morals, and ethics demand it. I believe every person has inalienable rights to justice, equity, and dignity. What X has become is antithetical to all these things and I can no longer comply or stand idly by. So I leave, and take my history with me.
I deleted my X account and I urge you to do the same. Here’s why:
X is playing a pivotal role in the global shift to the far-right and fascism. Our global digital town square has been mutilated into a radicalization engine for far-right anti-democratic extremism. From where I stand, continued use of the platform, no matter how benign, is not only complicity but active participation in this project.
When Elon Musk bought Twitter in April 2022 I said he would turn the bird app into a nesting ground for far-right ideologies and wield the power of the platform to shape the world to his distorted vision. What I didn’t expect was the speed and depth of his self-radicalization to its extreme outer fringes. The guy who used to talk about the need for more electric cars now spends his time blasting unhinged conspiracy theories and extremist far-right ideology to his millions of followers.
X – the thing that lives in the reanimated carcass of Twitter – is a breeding ground for hate and societal collapse masquerading as a global digital town square. Unless you align with these ideologies, there is no argument strong enough to stay.
Sticking around means others will too. Leaving your Tweets on the platform means others will go there to read them. Using the platform because that’s where your community is, or where your customers are, or the best way to reach the public in an emergency is baking extremist ideology into our public infrastructure. There is no shelter here. Nor is there neutrality.
Find your people on Mastodon or Bluesky or some other platform. And make sure you own your own content, so people with terrible ideas can’t use it against you!
On January 20th 2025, X effectively becomes state media and propaganda apparatus for the Trump government. Musk is using the power of his platform to influence elections all over the world. Whether you’re an individual like me, a business, organization, or government, a journalist, or a media outlet, using and contributing content to X means exposing yourself and your users to that propaganda and submitting to that power and influence.
Fascism and genocidal far-right ideologies have no place in our society. When hate enters the chat, we must refuse to comply and collectively walk away. If we wait, it’ll soon be too late.