Notices by Leave X - Protect Democracy (leavex@mastodon.social)

This is why the Fediverse matters: it's a platform designed for human conversation, not algorithmic engagement.

https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/6nue7_v1

#Facebook #Instagram #TikTok #BigTech #SocialMedia #Fediverse

A Russian influence campaign hijacked hundreds of Bluesky accounts, many belonging to influential Americans, to spread propaganda, researchers said, in a striking disinformation tactic that weaponized authentic identities rather than relying on fake accounts.

The campaign, which the researchers at Clemson University linked to the Russian firm Social Design Agency, targeted journalists, academics, and filmmakers on the tech platform.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260529-bluesky-accounts-hijacked-in-pro-russia-propaganda-campaign

#BlueSky #Disinformation #Russia

@Mastodon @sovtechfund awesome!💜

Europe should regulate Big Tech instead of banning kids from social media, Estonia says
https://archive.is/2026.04.10-165315/https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-should-stand-up-to-big-tech-instead-of-imposing-social-media-bans-estonia-says/

#BigTech #SocialMedia #Estonia #EU

X is a Preferred Tool for American Propaganda.
https://techpolicy.press/x-is-a-preferred-tool-for-american-propaganda-what-does-it-mean

"the State Department issuing a formal cable endorsing a specific social media platform for use in its messaging—and doing so in the same document that it encourages collaboration with military psychological operations—would have been nearly unthinkable until recent months. But it’s just the latest in a series of developments that suggest Musk’s X is regarded as the preferred tool of the state."

#LeaveX #Disinformation

Human rights chief warns against banning social media for kids
https://archive.is/2026.03.24-204653/https://www.politico.eu/article/michael-oflaherty-human-rights-council-of-europe-children-social-media-ban/

Ban the harmful algorithms of Big Tech social media instead.

#BigTech #SocialMedia #EU #Children

The more active users are on social media, the more polarized they are.

Political attitudes differ but share a common low-dimensional structure
across social media and survey data: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2603.02102

Inside the funhouse mirror factory: How social media distorts perceptions of norms: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X24001313

#BigTech #SocialMedia #HateSpeech #Polarization #Politics

Big Tech and the Far Right: Musk’s growing political role illustrates how concentrated private power in the tech sector is fuelling fascism. Through control of a major social media platform, amplification of far-right narratives and direct engagement with reactionary figures and movements, Musk has helped normalise extremist rhetoric and expand its reach.

Check it out TNI's Mapping Fascim: https://www.tni.org/en/mapping-fascism

#FarRight #BigTech #SocialMedia #Musk #X #fascism #musk #LeaveX #Disinformation

"When authoritarianism is on rise, you can count on the richest, least vulnerable men on the planet to be the biggest cowards."

Bradley Whitford

#BigTech #Oligarchy #Greed #FarRight #Authoritarianism #Cowardice #Meta #X #Amazon #Google

Make fascism socially unacceptable again. Leave X.

#LeaveX #JohnOliver #fascim #FarRight #Disinformation #HateSpeech #Democracy

"Last week, the Province of New Brunswick announced it would no longer use X (...), for any official government communications, citing concerns over harmful content and inadequate safeguards. The City of Fredericton also stopped using X after a city survey showed that fewer and fewer residents were still on the platform.

When will the Canadian government follow New Brunswick’s lead and stop relying on X for official communications with Canadians?"

Senator Simons

Via @ZebKing

#LeaveX #Canada

RE: https://norden.social/@SheDrivesMobility/116085770467371667

EN: "I'm so fed up with it.
But you've known that for "years".
X is a platform for child pornography. And German politicians still communicate there anyway."

#LeaveX #ChildAbuse #Germany #Grok

Le Monde ("sur X"), El País ("en X"), Tagesspiegel ("auf X"), The Guardian ("on X"), you name it.

How much attention is generated simply because politicians use X as their main communication channel? How much journalism is dragged into following and amplifying what is said on a platform widely recognized as a disinformation and hate speech tool?

If politicians left X, how much of what remains would be newsworthy beyond the gossip sections?

Until when?

#LeaveX #Journalism #Media #Attention

RE: https://mastodon.social/@taylorlorenz/116025421547573109

The #Fediverse, and #Mastodon in particular, showcases what social media can be when designed for democratic dialogue rather than profit.

It’s open source, so its rules and algorithms are transparent and accountable.

No single company owns it, so no billionaire can unilaterally shape speech.

It’s also interoperable, meaning people can move freely instead of being trapped in walled gardens.

Because it doesn't depend on outrage for ad revenue, it fosters healthier, more civil conversations.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@chrisstoecker/116074575625342901

"I’m in Munich and people keep asking me to decode Vance’s speech. OK: In Vance English, “free speech” means “Let Musk run your elections” and “democracy” means “let Russia run your elections.” Now move on. 2025 is about what Europeans do, not what Americans say."

Timothy Snyder

N. b. We are in 2026.

#EU #Europe #Russia #Democracy #Musk #LeaveX

The final article draws the thread together, exposing a deliberate, interconnected system across continents, legal systems, and institutions.

This series is meant to support civil society organisations, trade unions, workers, activists, academics, small businesses, and journalists fighting back.

2/2

#CivilSociety #Union #Journalism #Academia

The Big Tech Lobby Playbook

How Big Tech’s power has rewritten digital rules globally

https://www.somo.nl/big-tech-lobby-playbook/

Big Tech giants have developed a powerful playbook to shape laws and politics in their favour, all around the world.

Our Big Tech Lobby Playbook series explores their tools and strategies through 6 case studies from Australia, Brazil, India, the EU, Kenya and the US.

1/2

#BigTech #SocialMedia #Lobby #Meta #X #Facebook #Instagram #TikTok #LeaveX #SaveSocial

For anyone looking for/collecting material on Elon Musk/X and algorithmically controlled influence on political communication on X, there is a new study available here.

Political Biases on X before the 2025 German Federal Election
https://groups.cs.umass.edu/equate-ml/2025/02/21/political-biases-on-x-before-the-2025-german-federal-election/

Via @fraunora @spaetz

#LeaveX #X #disinformation #FarRight #Germany #noafd #Rechtsextremismus #Deutschland #musk

This analogy will become our motto: big tech social media is the new tobacco.

We’re taking far too long to realize it’s a cancer for democracies.

#Telegram #SocialMedia #democracy #FarRight #Spain #Sanchez

A huge shout-out to @hpod16 for her fantastic work on the #Fediverse, both on her personal profiles and for the @EUCommission ! In less than a month, she’s gained over 1,000 followers, and her posts are being widely shared. As we've said, when most European politicians join the Fediverse, journalists and citizens will follow.

But how do we convince more politicians to join? We need to persuade them and let them know that *we are already here*.

https://leavex.eu/politicians/

#LeaveX #Fediverse #EU