Paris Mayor Abandons 'Vast Worldwide Sewer' of X

The site provokes conflict instead of encouraging debate, Anne Hidalgo says
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 27, 2023 6:20 PM CST
Paris Mayor Denounces X Under Musk, Signs Off
French actor Gilles Lellouche, center right, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, center left, and guests speak prior to pushing the button during the inauguration of the Champs Elysee Avenue illumination ceremony for the Christmas season in Paris on Nov. 19.   (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Saying the social media platform has become "a tool for destroying our democracies," the mayor of Paris announced Monday that she's quitting X. She didn't name Elon Musk but made clear that it's all gotten worse since he took over Twitter, Politico Europe reports. "This platform and its owner act deliberately to exacerbate tensions and conflicts," Anne Hidalgo wrote in a post, saying that its algorithms changed the site since its beginning as a way to make information freely available, per the New York Times. Now, she said, X is "a vast worldwide sewer."

Musk and X have taken increasing criticism lately over misinformation and his endorsement of an antisemitic remark on X; he visited Israel on Monday, possibly prompted by the backlash. The Socialist mayor, who's been in office for almost a decade, has battled misinformation on X about issues and her tenure. "Facts are irrelevant" on the site, Hidalgo said. She also was displeased by an X report that said France was the top country in Europe when it comes to postings of violent and illegal content. "We need more than ever to keep real democracy alive," the mayor said. "Twitter hinders debate," she added, as well as the "constructive dialogue needed between human beings." X did not respond to a request for comment. (More Twitter stories.)

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