Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia quits ‘disinformation network’ X

British news outlet The Guardian also said it would stop posting on Elon Musk’s X, calling it a ‘toxic media platform’.

Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia has announced it will stop publishing its content on social media platform X, which it said had become a “disinformation network”.

The social media giant, owned by Elon Musk, has become “an echo chamber” for “conspiracy theories and misinformation” whose reach multiplies due to the lack of effective moderation, the Barcelona-based newspaper said on Thursday.

“Hatred of ethnic minorities, misogyny and racism” were among the viral posts “that violate human rights” but captured users’ attention and more money through advertising, it added.

Musk, who describes himself as a “free speech absolutist”, had criticised the moderation policies on the platform, formerly known as Twitter, and objected to censorship that goes beyond the requirements of the law.

After buying it in a $44bn deal in 2022, Musk led a huge layoff of workers, including staff overseeing content moderation, and restored known conspiracy theorists to the platform.