We are leaving X because it has been turned by its owner Elon Musk into a propaganda machine for his power objectives, which is a threat to democracy
The Forum on Inequality and Diversity, as millions of users around the world, (here a focus on Italy by AgCom) has decided to stop publishing on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The platform, now owned by Elon Musk, has gradually become a ‘toxic’ space, as defined by the British newspaper “The Guardian” and an extreme example of the use of digital communication to manipulate opinions.
We have always believed that the proprietary control of digital platforms and large social networks can lead to an illiberal influence and control of our virtual relations and to the distortion of public debate.
This is what is now happening in the case of the former Twitter. Musk’s acquisition has changed the original purpose of the platform, transforming it into a powerful propaganda machine aimed at enhancing the power of its owner, through the systematic spread of fake news and the use of aggressive hate speech.
We are faced with an overflow of personal economic power into the public sphere of communication and politics. It is certainly not new, but it is now so unrestrained and unvarnished that it is altering the balance between democracy and capitalism. We have a taste of this even in Europe, with Musk attempt to influence the political debate in our countries, through his social network.
We are aware of the imbalance of power between the owners of the big digital platforms and those who use them, of the role of the digital space for public debate, and the need to free ourselves from the power of the digital monopolists.
With this in mind, together with many others (such as the information website Valigia Blu), we have decided to leave X, so as not to be accomplices, even if only with our participation, in the personal strategy for which X is being used. We have set February 16th, our seventh birthday, as the date when we will stop publishing on X. The account will remain accessible, as it offers a snapshot of our first seven years.
In order to continue disseminating information on our work and results, in addition to the other main platforms, you can also find us on Bluesky. Despite the limitations of each of these platforms, in Bluesky’s model control is not centralised in a single company, offering instead an open and autonomous environment for its users.
Bluesky can be accessed via browser at bsky.app or via mobile application (for Android or iOs). Bluesky is a social networking platform that allows users to choose or create independent spaces/servers to host their data, offering flexible management of privacy and content moderation. We chose to entrust our data to the main space/server offered by Bluesky Social. Once logged in, you have to enter an email address, a password, your own information (including your date of birth to declare that you are at least 13 years old), a username, and fill out your profile. Bluesky also allows you to create lists of users you find interesting (they are called starter packs) and to share them so that you can also follow those created by others. Remember to include our account, when you create a starter pack!
We take this opportunity to reiterate our commitment to maintain and expand our several spaces for dialogue with people interested in the work of ForumDD: our newsletter, which gathers news, insights, events and reading suggestions; our website, which is always up-to-date and offers the possibility of direct interaction; the School for Social and Environmental Justice and its free platform nuoviequilibri.org; the calendar of events throughout Italy.
