Paris Mayor Abandons 'Vast Worldwide Sewer' of X

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.)