The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has announced that it will withdraw from the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, from 20 January 2025, the day Donald Trump officially takes office as the 47th President of the United States.

The organisation justified its decision by stating that it “can no longer, for ethical reasons, participate in a social network that its owner has turned into a machine of disinformation and propaganda”.

Europe’s largest journalists’ organisation, which represents more than 295,000 journalists from 44 countries, joins media outlets such as The Guardian, Dagens Nyheter, La Vanguardia, Ouest-France and Sud-Ouest, which have already left the platform, citing negative changes under Musk’s leadership.

A threat to democratic values

EJF Secretary General Ricardo Gutierrez warned of the dangers of the relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, emphasising that their collaboration poses a threat to democracy and freedom of expression.

The combination of the president of the most powerful country in the world and the richest man in the world, who controls social network X and plans to join Trump’s administration, is a threat to democratic values, Gutierrez explained.

The president of the EFJ, Maja Sever, said: “We cannot continue to participate in the social network feed of a man who proclaims the death of the media and therefore of journalists.”

Gutierrez also criticised the editorial orientation of the platform.

“The social media site X has become the favoured vector for conspiracy theories, racism, far-right ideas and misogynistic rhetoric. X is a platform that no longer serves the public interest at all, but the particular ideological and financial interests of its owner and his political allies,” he said.

Call for alternative platforms

The EFJ called on its members and organisations working for freedom of expression to leave X and find alternative platforms.

“The editorial development of X since the takeover by Elon Musk simply contradicts our humanist values, our commitment to press freedom and media pluralism and our fight against all forms of hatred and discrimination.

“The decision to suspend our @EFJEUROPE account seemed clear to us and we invite all our members and all organisations defending freedom of expression to move to other platforms,” the EFJ said.