Dutch civil servants urge the government to leave X
Dutch ministries should stop using X for information purposes, senior civil servants have said in an internal memo citing hate speech, racism, and disinformation. However, so far, politicians are staying on X. Could it be because of serious political FOMO?
According to the document, which has been reviewed by Dutch news outlet De Volkskrant, the civil servants argue that the social messaging platform actively facilitates the distribution of disinformation and harmful and criminal content, which infringes both Dutch and European laws.
According to the authors of the memo, X is actively fueling polarization in society. Therefore, the government should “adhere to its own laws and regulations and not expose citizens to content that conflicts with this.”
However, due to a lack of moderation, expressions of racism, discrimination, misogyny, and antisemitism have increased on the social messaging platform.
As of writing, the government uses X as a platform to provide information to the public. This is done via individual accounts of departments, politicians, and government officials. The memo doesn’t say that these accounts should be deleted, but that they can remain in place to maintain international diplomatic relations and in case of national emergencies.
At the same time, senior civil servants acknowledge that a departure from X could have disadvantages. For example, leaving the social messaging platform could be seen as a withdrawal from the public debate. In addition, it could become harder to target specific demographic groups.
It’s unclear whether the Dutch government will adopt the recommendation of its civil servants. According to De Volkskrant, a final decision is expected to be made after the summer.
Earlier this month, three political parties in Germany announced their departures from X, claiming that X “has descended into chaos,” and accusing the platform of promoting “right-wing populist content, hate speech, and disinformation.”
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Claes de Vreese, a professor at the University of Amsterdam, knows why politicians aren’t leaving X.
“Death wishes, insults, and intimidation. That is what politicians get on X. And yet most stay. Why? Everyone is afraid to leave because of fear of missing out,” he recently wrote on his LinkedIn page.
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