Werder Bremen Exits X Over Rising Hate Speech Concerns

German football club Werder Bremen has announced its departure from the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

This decision comes amid growing concerns over an "incredible" increase in hate speech since the platform was acquired by Elon Musk in 2022.

Werder Bremen, a four-time national champion with a substantial following of over 600,000 on X, cited the platform's transformation into what they describe as a "political weapon."

The club expressed alarm at the surge in "hate speech, hatred against minorities, right-wing extremism, and conspiracy theories," which they claim have proliferated under the guise of freedom of expression.

In a statement, the club declared, "Since Elon Musk took over the platform, a red line has been crossed."

This move aligns Werder Bremen with fellow Bundesliga team St Pauli, which has also left the platform for similar reasons. Other top-flight clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, are reportedly considering following suit.

The trend is not limited to sports organizations; the German Ski Federation and the German Volleyball Federation have already distanced themselves from X, and prominent newspapers like France's Ouest-France, Britain's The Guardian, Spain's La Vanguardia, and Sweden's Dagens Nyheter have announced plans to leave.

The controversy surrounding X has been further fueled by Musk's political affiliations, notably his support for Donald Trump's political ambitions.

Trump has even approached Musk to assist in efforts to reduce government inefficiency.