The methods practiced on #X disqualify the network for any sensible communication.
Now it is also making money by spreading #AI-generated #FakeNews and influencing elections in the USA, as the BBC reports:
bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dpj48…

#Universities and other #research and #educational institutions that want to provide fact-based information should switch to the real social media of the #Fediverse 🐿️ like #Mastodon 🐘 as soon as possible.

It is beyond reason that the legitimization of lying networks like X is supported with #taxpayers' money.
Help change this soon and sign the petition 👇
openpetition.de/Unis4Mastodon

#Unis4Mastodon #eXit
@maxplanckgesellschaft @fraunhofergesellschaft

How X users earn thousands from US election misinformation and AI images

The accounts are part of pro-Trump and pro-Harris networks sharing each other’s content multiple times a day.

^{Marianna Spring (BBC News)}

Some people who want to leave #X wonder if #BlueSky is an alternative. 😕
In our petition, we advocate using the decentralized #Mastodon. We do not consider BlueSky to be a sustainable alternative because it is another commercial service that spies on user data to generate customized #advertising with it.

The BlueSky Terms of Service bsky.social/about/support/tos
and Privacy Policy comprise 7100+ words 😡. Nobody reads this; this is not an “informed consent” as required by #GDPR. We see the #universities here as having a duty of care towards their students and employees, whom they must protect from such data collection. Mastodon and the other #Fediverse 🦩 services are much more suitable for university communication.
BlueSky is just another data leech.

That's why you should sign the petition for #Unis4Mastodon 🐘 👩‍🎓 🐘 :
openpetition.de/Unis4Mastodon

Terms of Service - Bluesky

Welcome to Bluesky Social, a social networking application provided by Bluesky! We're excited to have you on board as a user.

^Bluesky

We forgot to add the University of Applied Sciences #HTW_Berlin to the list of #universities that did the #eXit 👣. They silenced their #X account this year and do not post there anymore.
Bravo, @HTW_Berlin, a good step! 👏
👉 htw-berlin.de/en/

In addition, a channel has been set up into the Fediverse 🌳 and the X logo has been removed from the homepage (a small hint: now add the Mastodon logo to the homepage).
Many potential followers would certainly be interested in finding out more about #HTW_Berlin via the #Mastodon channel.
Sign the petition: ✍️ openpetition.de/Unis4Mastodon

#Unis4Mastodon 🐘

In our appeal we argue:
"#Disinformation and hate speech, ... are still defining elements" on #X, "elections are being manipulated and democratic institutions are attacked."

A current example of this is the #Trollrensics study on the #EPelection that became public last week. According to it, millions of posts promoting right-wing populist parties were distributed by over 50,000 fake accounts on X. 👇
theguardian.com/world/article/…

Why do #universities legitimize these fake campaigns with their presence on X?
Sign the petition 👉 → openpetition.de/unis4mastodon

#Unis4Mastodon 🇪🇺 🌼 🇪🇺

Disinformation networks ‘flooded’ X before EU elections, report says

Analysis by Dutch researchers shows coordinated activity in France, Germany and Italy in run-up to ballot

^{Lisa O'Carroll (The Guardian)}

The #FreeUniversity of #Berlin, one of the best-known #universities of #Germany has decided to close its account on #X:
"In light of developments on the social media platform X, Freie Universität Berlin has decided to shut down this channel."
fu-berlin.de/informationen-fue…

In its justification, it commits itself to the principles of the #Fediverse and #OpenScience:
"Freie Universität Berlin has been present on Mastodon since December 2022. #Mastodon is part of the decentralized Fediverse network. Compared to large commercial social networks, Mastodon relies on chronological feeds and reduces the algorithmic sorting of posts. This ensures that information is always openly available and reduces the likelihood of so-called filter bubbles forming."

Bravo, @freieuniversitaet ! A good decision!

#Unis4Mastodon 🌻 #AlleInsFediverse 🐘 🐘 🐘

We've created another image for our campaign.

Share it where you can to help #universities make more use of the #Fediverse 🌻 and say goodbye to #X / #Twitter - just like many others already did.

And feel free to sign it yourself, if you haven't already done so
👉 openpetition.de/Unis4Mastodon

#Unis4Mastodon 🐘 🐘 🐘

When it comes to #tracking users, the focus is often on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.

The European data protection group noyb @noybeu filed a complaint against #X / #Twitter last year for violating the #GDPR:
👉 noyb.eu/en/gdpr-complaint-agai…

As determined by noyb, the company collects sensitive data such as political views and religious beliefs by monitoring clicks, likes and responses to posts on its own platform.
Felix Mikolasch, data protection lawyer at noyb: “After we filed our first complaint in this matter, the EU Commission has already confirmed to stop advertising on X. However, to put an end to this in general, we need enforcement against X as a platform used by many others.”

In our petition
👉 openpetition.de/Unis4Mastodon
we pointed out the #DataProtection problems with the major platforms and thus recommend the use of #Fediverse services at #universities.

#Unis4Mastodon

GDPR complaint against X (Twitter) over illegal micro-targeting for chat control ads

X enabled the illegal political micro-targeting used by the EU Commission

^noyb.eu

We, the Aktionsbündnis neue Soziale Medien (New Social Media Action Alliance) today appealed to #universities in Germany to shut down their #X (formerly #Twitter) accounts as soon as possible.

Signatures for the appeal, written as an open letter, are now being collected on the #OpenPetition platform 📝
openpetition.de/petition/onlin…

The appeal points out that the presence on X/Twitter does not do justice to the universities' remit to provide information because of the #disinformation and political agitation practised there. At the same time, presences should be established on #Mastodon and other services in the #Fediverse, whose decentralised and moderated design is much more compatible with the rules of democratic and sustainable coexistence.

First #universities in Germany leave X/Twitter

At the end of last year, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences announced its withdrawal from #X / #Twitter. President Prof. Steinmetz justified the move:

"We have observed with growing discomfort the consequences of inadequate content moderation on 'X'. Discriminatory and anti-Semitic content, conspiracy narratives, political #disinformation and even calls for #violence were able to spread rapidly on 'X', ... We no longer want to be found in this environment. We can no longer reconcile this with our values: ... As a community of diverse people, #tolerance and respectful interaction with one another is important to us."

h-da.de/meldung-einzelansicht/…

Bravo, #h_da!
There is an urgent need for universities to compare their mission statements with the behavior of the major advertising platforms and draw conclusions.
You can sign here to encourage more #unisinsfediverse:
👉 openpetition.de/petition/onlin…

Wikimedia Deutschland @wikimediaDE is committed to free access to knowledge and education at all levels of society.

Regarding their value orientation, they say: "#participation, #diversity, free and open access, #justice, #sustainability and respectful collaboration - these #values are at the core of Wikimedia Deutschland."

In October last year, it became clear that X/Twitter no longer met these criteria: "After much deliberation, we decided to no longer communicate about the work of Wikimedia Deutschland on #X, formerly #Twitter."
blog.wikimedia.de/2023/10/26/w…

A logical and responsible decision @wikimediaDE !
But not only that: since last week we also welcome @wikimediaDE to the group of supporting organizations of our action alliance.
Welcome @wikimediaDE !
We look forward to working with you to encourage the #universities for a better internet.

#UnisInsFediverse

Wir verabschieden uns: X ist nicht mehr das, was Twitter mal war - Wikimedia Deutschland Blog

Nach langem Überlegen haben wir uns dazu entschieden, nicht mehr über die Arbeit von Wikimedia Deutschland bei X, früher Twitter, zu kommunizieren.

^{Wikimedia Deutschland Blog}

The #library of University #Mannheim has left X/ #Twitter:
"As a scientific institution, we are committed to free and open access to information and knowledge and also reject any kind of #extremism, #hatespeech and #disinformation. We have therefore decided to close our account on the #X platform as of January 31, 2024."
blog.bib.uni-mannheim.de/Aktue…

Bravo, Mannheim University Library, for this decisive step!
And don't these values apply to all scientific institutions in Germany?
The UB is now looking into setting up an account on #Mastodon, as @unimannheim already operates.
If you want to help the #universities continue on this path, sign the petition:

👉 openpetition.de/unis4mastodon

#unis4mastodon