German Army and Ministry of Defense withdraw from platform X

(Patria) - The German Ministry of Defense announced that it will suspend its user accounts on the social network X, often criticized since it was taken over by billionaire Elon Musk.

The Ministry announced that it will not actively post on the platform until further notice, except in exceptional cases such as reactions to disinformation campaigns. The decision also applies to a number of related accounts, such as that of the German army.

The main reason for this decision is that an objective exchange of arguments has become increasingly difficult, the statement reads.

In the future, the Ministry of Defense will use the WhatsApp channel to publish information about relevant events and decisions of the minister.

The Ministry remains present on other networks such as Instagram and YouTube, along with its official website, Reuters reports.

Liebe Followerinnen und Follower,
wir werden unseren X-Kanal bis auf weiteres ruhen lassen und vorerst nichts mehr aktiv posten.
Wir haben uns zu diesem Schritt entschlossen, weil ein sachlicher Austausch hier zunehmend erschwert wird. (1/3)

— Verteidigungsministerium (@BMVg_Bundeswehr) January 15, 2025

This decision comes after Elon Musk hosted one of the leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany, Alice Weidel, on X, saying that her party is the only one that can save Germany and calling on Germans to vote for her in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

European lawmakers recently called on the European Commission to investigate the visibility of posts on X, formerly Twitter, and whether Musk favors his own posts, which would be a violation of EU law.

The billionaire has become close to US President Donald Trump, and critics of X claim that disinformation and fake news have flooded the network since his acquisition.