EFF Departs X Amid Declining Engagement and Platform Concerns
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a leading digital rights organization, has announced its departure from X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. This decision comes after nearly two decades of active presence on the platform, during which EFF has been a vocal advocate for digital privacy, free expression, and open access to information.
In a recent blog post, EFF’s social media manager, Kenyatta Thomas, detailed the organization’s rationale for leaving X. She highlighted a significant decline in engagement metrics over the years. In 2018, EFF’s posts garnered between 50 and 100 million impressions per month. By 2024, despite publishing approximately 2,500 posts, monthly impressions had dwindled to around 2 million. The following year, with 1,500 posts, the total annual impressions reached only 13 million. Thomas noted, To put it bluntly, an X post today receives less than 3% of the views a single tweet delivered seven years ago.
This decline in engagement is not unique to EFF. Other organizations and media outlets have reported similar trends. For instance, a report from NiemanLab suggested that including links in X posts negatively impacts engagement, leading to reduced visibility and interaction. Additionally, high-profile entities such as NPR, PBS, The Guardian, and Le Monde have also chosen to leave the platform, citing concerns over declining reach and the platform’s evolving policies.
The departure of EFF underscores broader issues within X. Since Elon Musk’s acquisition, the platform has faced criticism for its content moderation policies, handling of misinformation, and overall user experience. Notably, X has been accused of failing to adequately address hate speech, including antisemitic and Islamophobic content. A report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate highlighted that X left up numerous posts promoting such hate speech, raising questions about the platform’s commitment to user safety and content standards.
Furthermore, X’s interactions with advertisers have been contentious. In November 2023, Elon Musk publicly criticized advertisers who paused spending on the platform, stating, Go fck yourself to those who withdrew their ads. This confrontational stance has contributed to a challenging environment for organizations relying on the platform for outreach and engagement.
EFF’s decision to leave X reflects a strategic shift towards platforms that offer better engagement and align more closely with its mission. The organization will continue its presence on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other open social web platforms. Thomas emphasized that maintaining a presence on these platforms does not equate to endorsing them but ensures that EFF’s critical information remains accessible to diverse audiences.
This move by EFF is indicative of a larger trend where organizations are reevaluating their social media strategies in response to changing platform dynamics. As X continues to evolve under new leadership, its ability to retain influential organizations and maintain user engagement remains uncertain.
