Recently, prestigious publications such as Libération and Le Monde, along with other titles like L’Union and L’Ardennais, have decided to end their collaboration with X, the former Twitter platform. This significant choice reveals not only a disillusionment with the changes on the platform since its acquisition by Elon Musk, but also highlights concerns related to misinformation and the toxicity of exchanges on the network. In this context, the director of France for X, Nicolas Victor, expressed his disappointment over this wave of departures, while defending the platform’s efforts to clean up its environment.
The decision of major French media
The departure of these media is not coincidental. Indeed, Libération recently conducted an internal vote revealing that 81.4% of participants wanted to suspend or close the paper’s accounts on the platform. The reasons cited are mainly the incompatibility between the values of these media and the direction taken by X under the leadership of Elon Musk. This decision was also reinforced by the observation of an intensification of hateful discourse and what was deemed insufficient management of misinformation.
The reaction from X’s management
Nicolas Victor, director of France for X, reacted to this decision by expressing his regret and disappointment. He believes that this decision does not reflect the significant efforts made by X to improve the discussion framework on the platform. According to him, these major publications are making their decision without considering the initiatives implemented to combat misinformation and promote transparency.
In a context where traditional media are leaving X, Victor insists that the platform had undertaken concrete actions to moderate content, particularly through tools like Community Notes. He argues that this participatory system, which allows users to verify the truthfulness of information, has demonstrated its effectiveness in several academic studies.
The fight against misinformation
One of the main criticisms made by the media is the management of misinformation on the platform. The leaders of Le Monde have mentioned a deterioration in the quality of public debate, attributed to the spread of misleading information. Despite X’s efforts to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA), the results are deemed insufficient by the concerned media outlets.
In response, Nicolas Victor stated that significant measures have been implemented to combat misinformation. Among them, he mentioned the suspension of millions of accounts engaged in political manipulation. This defense demonstrates the platform’s struggle to restore media trust.
The problem of hate speech and abuse
In addition to misinformation, the rise of hateful and abusive discourse raises serious concerns. According to statistics presented by Victor, X has moderated or removed tens of thousands of hateful content in recent months. Furthermore, a collaboration is established with law enforcement to better address reports related to online hate.
Nevertheless, these efforts do not seem sufficient to assuage the concerns of the media, who believe that the platform’s environment has become too hostile. Despite the suspension of around 16 million accounts in France for manipulation, the fundamental values of French media do not resonate with the current direction of X.
Transformations under Elon Musk
Since X’s acquisition by Elon Musk in 2022, the platform has undergone radical changes. Musk, known for his libertarian positions and his connections with political figures such as former U.S. President Donald Trump, has altered the platform’s original mission. This evolution has often been perceived as an attempt to eliminate the separation between personal ideology and commercial services.
Jérôme Fenoglio, director of Le Monde, criticized this change by pointing out that X tends to neglect traditional media in favor of narratives aligned with Musk’s beliefs. Such a climate creates a difficult environment for media institutions whose duty is to provide rigorous and objective information.
In light of this situation, it is clear that the reaction of the director of X, although filled with goodwill, struggles to convince French media to remain present on the platform. The growing chasm between the values of major press outlets and those of X’s management seems to widen,740 and this could initiate a fundamental change in the way traditional media interact with social networks in the future.
