EU health watchdog considers leaving X amid misinformation concerns

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is considering quitting the social media platform X, its chief told U.S.-based newspaper Politico on Tuesday.

ECDC director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said X, formally Twitter, was fueling both disinformation and misinformation, according to Politico.

She said the ECDC was discussing a possible withdrawal, as prominent accounts with large followings did after Donald Trump was elected the U.S. president for a second term.

ECDC Director at #POLITICOHealthCare:

Pandemic preparedness is high on the agenda across the globe, but we must also treat mis/disinformation as an emerging health threat.

We cannot give it space to spread & we must prevent demand for it with clear & accessible communication. pic.twitter.com/6LDCFKkh6c

— ECDC (@ECDC_EU) November 19, 2024

Rendi-Wagner also deplored a loss of trust in scientific institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic and noted that social media was nurturing scientific misinformation.

The ECDC director, however, added that social media cannot be considered entirely bad, as it helps reach out to broader groups of people and communities.

The recent trend of quitting X is largely driven by concerns over owner Elon Musk’s close relationship with the U.S. president-elect.

The British daily The Guardian said it will stop posting on X. The German football club St. Pauli and the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a London-based hate speech watchdog, announced that they will leave the platform.