Islam Times - Musk’s Influence over X Draws Fire As Major NGOs Flee Platform

Islam Times - Elon Musk’s leadership of X has come under fire from environmental groups and universities, who are abandoning the platform over allegations of political bias and threats to democratic values.

Prominent environmental organizations and academic institutions announced plans to leave social media platform X on Jan. 20, aligning their exit with US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration day.

Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including environmentalist groups such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Ecologists in Action, said they are among "hundreds of organizations and thousands of people" severing ties with X.

The Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) joined the list of entities announcing their withdrawal on Monday.

In a joint statement, the groups accused Elon Musk, owner of the platform, of making X "a danger for democracy" by enabling narratives "based on the ideas of the far right" and interfering in foreign elections, including in Germany.

“Social media platforms have never been perfect, but X's attitude is unacceptable for a social media platform where different positions should be treated equally,” the statement read.

Musk, who is set to serve as an advisor to Trump, has faced intense criticism for his involvement in European political matters. His controversial remarks on countries such as Italy, Germany, and the UK, along with his support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of February’s snap election, have drawn condemnation from political leaders.

Musk, who acquired Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 before renaming it X the following year, remains at the center of global political controversies as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.