German clubs leave X after accusing Elon Musk of fuelling hate speech

Two leading German football clubs have left the social media site X in protest at its direction under Elon Musk and fears that it has become a ‘political weapon’.

In what they call a clear stance against “hatred, hate speech, discrimination and exclusion”, four-time Bundesliga champions Werder Bremen announced to their 577,000 followers that they would be moving their future content to the alternative Bluesky platform.

It follows the same decision last week by St Pauli, another Bundesliga club, who said that the platform had become an amplifier of hate that could influence the forthcoming German parliamentary elections.

As well as providing financial backing to Donald Trump’s presidential comeback, Musk used the platform to campaign and has been given a role in the second Trump administration.

St Pauli cited fears that German politics would now be impacted by the X platform. “Racism and conspiracy theories are allowed to spread unchecked and even curated,” said a statement. “Insults and threats are seldom sanctioned and are sold as freedom of speech. It is to be assumed that X will also promote authoritarian, misanthropic and far-right content during the forthcoming German election campaign … manipulating the public discourse.

“The club is ceasing its activity on X. The account will no longer be used, but the content of the last 11 years will remain online in view of its contemporary historical value.”

Werder Bremen made a similar announcement following the club’s annual general meeting on Monday.

“Since Elon Musk took over the platform, hate speech, hatred towards minorities, right-wing extremist posts and conspiracy theories have been allowed to spread at an incredible pace, all under the guise of freedom of speech,” said a statement. “Next to nothing is currently being monitored on the platform. The algorithms and decision-making at X are entirely non-transparent processes. Additionally, Elon Musk is utilising the social network as a political weapon, as seen recently during the course of the US election.

“SV Werder Bremen are taking a clear stance. The Green-Whites are proud to stand for diversity, freedom and democracy, as well as for cohesion and solidarity in society.

“With the recent radicalisation of the platform, a line has been crossed for the club. The Green-Whites are therefore leaving X effective immediately.”

Bremen are eighth in the Bundesliga, and share the record for most seasons played in the German top-flight with Bayern Munich. St Pauli, who have more than 250,000 followers on X, are 16th in the league.

Actor Jamie Lee Curtis, former CNN anchor Don Lemon and The Guardian are among the other individuals and organisations to have left X since Trump’s re-election as United States president.

Trump’s Twitter account was suspended in 2021 following his defeat in the US election and the attack on the US Capitol building, but it was reinstated in November 2022 after Musk brought the platform for $44 billion before rebranding it as X.

Musk is adamant that he is simply a defender of free speech. “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” he said in 2022.