Between child sex abuse material being created on X, Musk’s involvement in the Epstein files, and the rise of hate content on the site, it’s time the University of Ottawa quit X.
Let’s face it X is a disaster. From right-wing echo chambers to the recent allegations of sexual exploitation in the form of AI deepfakes, it’s more clear than ever that the platform isn’t what it used to be.
Elon Musk’s semi-hostile and messy takeover of the platform caused the blue bird to twitter its last tweet in July of 2023 after the official rebrand to X took place. Before the rebrand to X even officially took place, it was clear Musk was intent on changing the platform to better conform to his agenda by unbanning numerous previously sanctioned accounts and an immediate and noticeable uptick in uncensored hate speech.
Most recently, credible sources have been reporting on a surge in deepfake sexual exploitation and harassment, sometimes targeting children, prompting scrutiny and investigation from the EU, Canada, and a myriad of international governments and journalists.
With allegations, investigations, and a general bad vibe piling up around X, it begs the question; why are reputable institutions of higher education like uOttawa are still actively engaging with X at all?
Institutions like U of O have a myriad of excuses for their continued engagement with the platform. Communicating to students (though how many students still use X, and engage with the U of O X account), sharing information with alumni, the public, or journalists (though many journalists have left X), or simply the outdated belief they have to engage on all platforms. Ultimately, these arguments fall flat when you consider the implications of U of O’s engagement and use of X.
Ever since Musk’s takeover of the platform there has been a noticeable exodus of many left and left-of-centre users away from X. And frankly it makes sense considering the controversy that naturally sticks to anything Musk touches. Musk’s biggest company Tesla fell into controversy and boycott soon after his infamous ‘heart goes out to you’ moment last year when Musk critics accused the tech CEO of throwing up his arm in an eerily nazi salute-esque pose.
It’s not just the left-wing that is turning on Musk, even die-hard MAGA Republicans turned away from Musk following what can only be described as petty squabbling with Trump in the form of insult-hurling over X resulting in the breakdown of the two men’s bromantic right-wing alliance.
The mountain of evidence against Musk as a suitable, or even reasonable, steward of a major social media platform has caused users’ choice to come under question. After the Xs AI system Grok was used to generate child sex abuse material (not surprising considering Musk’s repeated horrifying mentions in the Epstein files), advocates questioned the Canadian governments, and elected officials continued engagement with the platform.
Choosing to stay on X is choosing to associate with Musk. You can’t separate a billionaire activist owner from his pet platform as he drags it through the bog of hate, controversy, and deepfake exploitation. U of O’s choice to remain active on the platform is a clear willingness to turn a blind eye to all the BS. And for what? Community engagement on @uOttawa is abysmally low, the page hasn’t broken a hundred likes on any post in months.
As much as institutions like uOttawa like to stay neutral and use every possible communication avenue with its community, it’s time to give it up and quit X. If they really feel so threatened by potential right-wing blowback, then they don’t have to make a big deal about quitting the platform; they can just quit.
X is a sinking ship slowly fading into fringe obscurity anyway, and less gross platforms exist often with at least marginally less gross, but certainly less controversial ownership.
U of O’s continued use of Musk-owned media just doesn’t make sense anymore. For a university that claims to care about sexual violence, the generation of child sex abuse material should be the last straw telling the administration that its time to box up and quit X before yet another controversy makes users like U of O look even worse for choosing to stick around.
