Why leaving X can be a tricky decision for companies

On March 21, 2006, the first tweet was published ever by the founder of Twitter Jack Dormyy: “Just TWTTR”. It was a simple introduction to a new platform.

With the support of celebrities, it was different from other social media sites, such as Myspace or Facebook, because you can interact with any user without having to agree to the request. The companies rushed to join the service, hoping to approach their customers.

“If you were a brand you wanted to be part of any cultural moments that were happening, Twitter was a great place to be.”

On June 4, 2010, Elon Musk, the owner of Space X, first logged out: “Please ignore the previous tweets, because that was a person pretending to be: this is I really.”

After twelve years He was buying the platform For 44 billion dollars (38.1 billion pounds), reshape the algorithm, restore banned accounts, reuse policy on “freedom of expression”, rename it x.

Thousands of employees – about 80 % of the workforce.

Since it has chosen the acquisition companies for Mr. Musk, left the platform in what is called “The Great X-deodus”.

One of their main concerns was the content that will appear about their posts that users could share and share.

For example, between June 2022 and February 2023, anti -Semitic posts have doubled on X, According to the research By the Institute of Strategic Dialogue.

Recently in the UK, the positions of Mr. Musk on British policy have sparked controversy.

In particular, his post on The topic of gangs of gangs Pressing the government, which I announced a review of the case.

“There is no doubt that the MUSK ownership of X has an effect on public opinion in the UK,” says TRYL of the more common research set for BBC News.

However, according to more common denominators, only 16 % of Britons believe that his interventions are designed to achieve justice for victims, while 44 % believe he is doing it for attention, and Classification of his approval With the British public, he sits in -35.

The changing tone of X and the controversy surrounding its owner stimulated some companies to leave the platform and others also withdraw their ads.

At the end of 2023, including Apple, IBM and Disney Stop announcing the platform.

A lawsuit against other brands, including UNELIFAR and Mars, was filed by Mr. Musk, who accused them Illegally agrees To boycott the site.

“It is widely fair to say that Twitter is less important around the world,” says Mr. Wilson at the stadium office in central London, with client posters ranging from charities, communications and sports championships.

“It has been a very long time since the customers came to us and say:” Twitter’s fun and exciting. We want to be in this space. “

“Unless you are targeting a specific audience, and perhaps some political or sporting fans – football is still great on Twitter – it is difficult to see value in it.”

Trump’s electoral victory prompted other organizations to leave X, with others who consider their positions with the growth of Mr. Musk in the White House.

Starting in 2013, the German football team FC St Pauli, which plays in the top league in Germany, Bundesliga, has scored more than 60,000 times, achieving nearly 250,000 followers.

But less than 10 days after Trump returned to the White House, the club published: “You can find our statement about saying goodbye to X on Bluesky. Don’t hesitate to follow us there. We are out here.”

“We discussed the decision for a year,” Patrick Jinsing “told the BBC.

“We have seen attacks on X, anti -Semitism, conspiracy theories,” he says.

The argument that such publications are justified by freedom of expression, do not convince him.

“We don’t think racism is freedom of expression,” says Mr. Jinsing.

One of the latest departures from X was by the UK arm of BMW. In late January, she announced it was It is no longer published on x And turn people to his participation on Facebook and Instagram.

There is no final way to know the number of brands that choose to leave or reduce its posts on the platform.

When approaching, X did not respond to the points raised in this article. But last year, Mr. Musk claimed that X has 600 million users per month, and said that the platform maintains “the purpose of this is the public conversation service.”

Goran Kalek, a visiting researcher at Harvard Business College, says Mr. Musk was “clear that X is ready to make the baccalaureate to adopt a more open and less overseeing approach compared to Twitter.”

But leaving X can have negative consequences for institutions and their relationships with customers.

“When users leave, the influence depends on those who leave and why. News of publishing the local authority provides a great value for the network. If he leaves this account, it may harm both the platform and its users,” he says to BBC News.

“Users who protest through departure must weigh the broader social effects to stay for exit.”

For some institutions that need to take out their message quickly, X still has a value that other competitors can simply provide.

“For us, this value is still [on being on X]Andrew Cassidy, chief director of digital strategy and participation in the Massachusetts Bay (MBTA), says.

“We are trying to match our passengers. When people are enveloped in MBTA, someone can present a final answer at the moment. Our broadcast system is associated exclusively in our X X account, but we are still entering customer service questions via other platforms.”

“Our focus is on providing customer service to the largest number of cyclists that we might be able to,” says Mr. Cassidy.

“With the existence of the current scene is what it is, X still feeds on the need.”

Mr. Gensing explains that he is “unimaginable”, there is no presence on social media in 2025.

“We have to look at all platforms in a critical manner, they are not only x. The companies behind them prepare the rules of the game and can change them.”