UK newspaper giant The Guardian has announced that it will no longer be publishing its content to X. In a message to readers explaining the move, the outlet claimed that the site had become “toxic.”
The main reason for this, according to The Guardian, is due to “disturbing content” on the platform, like far-right conspiracy theories and racism. The US election, in turn, seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The Guardian argued that it “served only to underline what we have considered for a long time: that X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse.”
However, The Guardian did assure readers that X users will still be able to share their articles on the platform.
How did we get here?
This comes after a recent Washington Post report which claims that Republican politicians are far more likely to go viral on X than Democrat politicians.
It’s also worth noting that, during the election, X owner Musk positioned himself as a key ally to Trump, both in terms of donations and a public endorsement. He was handsomely rewarded for this after Trump appointed him co-leader of the new Department of the Government Efficiency.
It seems inevitable that Musk’s relationship with Trump will continue to influence the running of X, so perhaps The Guardian got out at just the right time.
