Are charities still on X?

X has had quite the ride since mercurial entrepreneur Elon Musk purchased the social media platform. Between diatribes and apologies, it has changed significantly since its founding. 

 

Taking stock of the latest and greatest on X, Elon, and the various controversies, we explore the ways in which charities may be impacted and question their future on the platform.

 

 

Twitter for charities

 

Leading up to Elon’s acquisition, Twitter was the top social media platform for celebrity personalities, politicians, and for charity leaders. Charities used Twitter for much of the same purpose as other organisations. One of the top reasons to use the blue-bird was to reach out to new supporters. By strategically interacting with other accounts, using hashtags, and posting on a regular basis, charities were able to build a following and community.

 

From an operational standpoint, one of the best things about Twitter was its governance. The platform’s Trust and Safety Council included UK charity Samaritans. Twitter had anti-hate policies which meant that users could be suspended for promoting nefarious causes. Famously, Donald Trump was kicked off the platform.

 

 

Changes to Twitter with Elon Musk

 

Elon brought a host of changes, starting with the rebrand to X. Many changes are aligned with his mantra regarding freedom of speech. Quoted by the Guardian: “By ‘free speech’, I mean that which matches the law. I am against censorship that goes far beyond the law.”

 

From a platform perspective, there are subtle changes in place today on X. Forbes points to a cultural shift. Twitter was once the bastion of first-to-read-it news, since pundits, politicians and charities made announcements in real time. But, since Elon’s management started, hate and violent content has increased and some pundits, politicians, and charities have left.

 

The changes have impacted charities. Speaking to the Third Sector, LGBT Youth Scotland says X is unsafe. Here is Mhairi Crawford, CEO: “Our following on Twitter was the largest across all of our platforms but we have noticed a troubling increase in extreme views and targeted attacks towards members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as our own charity directly.”

 

Under similar circumstances, Mermaids, another leading LGBTQ+ charity, left the platform. They issued the statement: “For some time now, it has been clear that our values as an organisation are at odds with X, as the platform’s guidelines and company ethics do not encourage a safe, healthy, or inclusive environment for our community to engage with us in.”

 

 

Controversy with X and Elon’s leadership

 

The recent gaffe that Elon’s stepped into is showing exactly why there is already an exodus. In the midst of a crisis in Gaza, Elon mentioned that an anti-Semitic post was the “actual truth”. He further went on to criticise the Anti-Defamation League, an NGO that specialises in civil rights and combats anti-Semitism.

 

For charities, it’s problematic because many have ethical and charitable purposes that are not aligned with the entrepreneur’s views. Equally, there is an element of unpredictability. The unpredictability hassled to advertisers leaving in droves. Taking stock, by the end of the year, those names included Disney, Coca-Cola, Jeep, Merck, Unilever, and others.

 

 

Is X still the platform of choice?  

 

When evaluating whether to stay on X, it’s worth looking at other options. At Charity Digital, we believe in weighing the pros and cons of the choice. Morality and values on one hand might be weighed against audiences that charities would like to engage with. Equally, X’s new subscription model puts a financial cost to using the platform.

 

There’s also reason to consider alternatives. Zoe Amar, writing for the Third Sector says: “Your comms team must think like a portfolio manager, constantly selecting, and prioritising efforts across, a diverse range of platforms to achieve your goals.”

 

Mermaids, in their statement of departure, noted that that they will be posting more content on TikTok. In exploring alternatives to X, Mastodon, CounterSocial, and Threads might be worth the effort, and the new BlueSky platform is attracting big names. Turning towards tried and tested platforms, investing more effort into LinkedIn may provide formal opportunities.