Number One: Musk has your data
Musk has all your data now, but its not just him. Starting Nov 15, third-party AI can use your public posts for training.
Number Two: Your data is training Musk’s AI
Your data is being used to train Musk’s AI. By keeping your account on X, Musk has all of your data to train his AI, including any potential future commercial product based on Grok.
Number Three: Musk changes the algorithms and policies to suit his whims
Musk reportedly changed the algorithm after a football game because Biden got more retweets.
He also changed the terms of service to reduce protections for transpeople and to label language used by gender minorities as ‘offensive slurs’. A post with the term ‘cis’ will provide a warning and de-boost the user posting it.
Musk is also changing the terms of service in other ways, with several reported changes happening this week.
Do you want to leave a unused account on a site that is changing its terms of services in ways you may not be aware of?
Number Four: X is quasi-state media now
X is quasi-state media now. Musk has been tapped to lead a government effort to drastically reshape the US government, and he has already created an account on X for that office before the administration is even in power. His own account, which he reportedly changed the algorithm to boost, regularly pushes content related to his new role.
Much of his content is often overtly political these days in favor of MAGA, and he has been condemned for the spread of misinformation on X and from his own account.
But those are not the only priorities of the incoming administration that Musk shares. Musk also agrees with the anti-trans platform that the GOP spent $215 million campaigning on.
And he uses X to push his transphobic views.
Number Five: Musk platforms and protects accounts that target minorities for persecution
When Musk took over Twitter, he re-platformed previously banned right-wing accounts, many of which resumed posting bigotry that got them banned.
Libs of TikTok (LoTT), an account that targets LGBT people, was the subject of a front page report by USA Today; the article’s focus was the threats that occurred after LoTT would post about places. Musk frequently interacts with LoTT and its creator, Chaya Raichik. After Raichik posted about making the front page of USA Today in this article, Musk congratulated her.
In another instance, Musk briefly reinstated the ToS that prohibited deadnaming and misgendering of transpeople (he later said this was limited to Brazil). Raichik created a post where she deliberately misgendered several well-known transpeople, then gave her other accounts “if she got banned”. Musk responded personally saying that “you’re not going to get suspended.”
LoTT is increasingly targeting LGBT people in general, including those working in schools or those who spoke out against MAGA.
In addition, bigoted accusations that LGBT people are ‘groomers’ have proliferated on the platform since Musk bought it.
Number Six: Musk is driven by his transphobia
Musk has previously stated a main goal is to defeat the “woke mind virus”, which is driven in a large part by his transphobia. It was a part of why he bought twitter, as he blamed the ‘woke mind virus’ for his daughter’s transition.
Musk continues comment and post approving responses to transphobic posts from users, including commenting on many posts from LoTT.
In another instance where the terms of use are not applied equally, talk show host Michael Knowles posted on X that “transgenderism” needed to be “eradicated” from “public life”; a message that the transgender population widely sees as a euphemism or coded term for genocide.
After the attack in Israel, Musk announced he would be removing the accounts of anyone who called for genocide. I reported Knowles’ post through X’s reporting system, but it was never removed. I have posted to Musk and Linda Yaccarino dozens of times asking if Musk is still banning euphemisms for genocide, and if so, why Knowles’ post still remains. Neither have responded, and Knowles’ post is still up.
Number Seven: “The resistance” will be de-boosted
Many of the paid “verified” accounts are right-wingers attracted by Musk’s “free speech” claims. Others users, distrustful of Musk, refused to give him money or their personal ID information to get verified and thus do not get the same ‘boost’ as verified accounts do. Therefore if you are unwilling to hand Musk your money, your account is already operating at a disadvantage, even before any potential algorithmic deboosting.
Smaller, non-paid accounts already get hidden behind “additional spam or offensive posts” disclaimers in replies to posts.
Many users also report seeing mostly right-wing accounts in their ‘for you’ tab of X.
Number Eight: Your interaction helps fund bigoted right-wing accounts
As you interact with right-wing accounts, you see the ads on their feeds. For verified accounts, they have the possibility of being paid a portion of the ad income through X’s revenue sharing program.
As you interact with right-wing users and gain them views, they get paid for your interactions.
Summary
X is an increasingly toxic platform, particularly for LGBT minorities. The owner of the site is driven in part by his transphobia, so the platform’s toxicity doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.
Musk is reportedly willing to change the algorithms and the terms of use to align with his personal views.
For the reasons above, you should delete your account, not just deactivate it. The old twitter isn’t coming back any time soon, if ever.
