Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris, leaves X and calls it an anti-democratic ‘sewer’

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says she is leaving the X platform because it fosters division and has become a “gigantic global sewer” that she refuses to wade in any longer.

Ms. Hidalgo said X made information accessible to a large number of people but in recent years has become “an impressive tool for destroying our democracies.”

The mayor of France’s capital took a swing at owner Elon Musk, though not by name, accusing him of using content moderation to sow societal rifts and put corporate interests over liberal priorities like work on climate change.

“This platform and its owner intentionally exacerbates tensions and conflicts,” Ms. Hidalgo wrote. “We must not deceive ourselves. We are dealing here with an utterly clear political project to push aside democracy and its values in favor of powerful private interests.”

Ms. Hidalgo is the latest figure to take aim at Mr. Musk’s handling of the powerful social media platform.

He drew the ire of advertisers, the media and the White House after he agreed with a post that accused some Jewish communities of conspiring to push “hatred against Whites.”

In response, several high-profile advertisers including Disney and Paramount have suspended their ads on X Friday.

Mr. Musk denied all claims that he is antisemitic, saying that “nothing could be further from the truth.”

Mr. Musk has also boosted conspiracy theories relating to the Russia-Ukraine war, the attack on Paul Pelosi, the COVID-19 pandemic and the long-debunked “Pizzagate” controversy that accused a D.C.-area pizza restaurant of running a child sex-trafficking operation from its basement.

Ms. Hidalgo, who has served as mayor of Paris since 2014, said a recent content-control report ranked France first in Europe for violent and illegal content on the platform.

“This medium has become a gigantic global sewer, and we should continue to wade into it?” she wrote.

The platform’s approach to content moderation has landed Mr. Musk in hot water ever since he took over X late last year. The platform is pushing back by suing Media Matters after the watchdog published a report showing advertising next to extremist posts.

Ms. Hidalgo said she’s seen enough.

“We see it every day: Twitter hinders debate, the quest for truth, and the serene and constructive dialogue needed between human beings. With its thousands of anonymous accounts and its troll farms, life on Twitter is the exact opposite of democratic life,” Ms. Hidalgo wrote. “I refuse to endorse this evil scheme.”