On Friday, 10 January 2025, the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) will officially end its activities on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). It is thus joining around 60 German-speaking universities and research institutions that are leaving the platform together.

"As HNEE, we stand for communication based on science and thus on reliable facts," explains University President Prof Dr Matthias Barth. "We are watching with growing concern how the discourse on X is changing. The platform is taking even less action against disinformation, spam and hate than before. This contradicts our values of tolerance and respectful cooperation - even in controversial discussions."

HNEE has been inactive on the platform since mid-2023. The current final withdrawal underlines the university's commitment to an open and constructive culture of discussion. The decision only affects the use of X and has no impact on HNEE's activities on other social media channels. In view of recent developments, HNEE will continue to monitor the platforms and their algorithms critically and closely.

Joint declaration: Focus on values

In a joint statement, the universities and institutions involved emphasise the reasons for the withdrawal:
"The current orientation of Platform X is incompatible with our core values: Open-mindedness, academia, transparency and democratic discourse. Algorithmic amplification of right-wing populist content and the restriction of organic reach make further use unacceptable. With this step, we are sending a clear signal in favour of fact-based communication and against anti-democratic tendencies."

→ To the umbrella press release of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf