Today, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that it will cease posting on X, opting instead to join the rival platform Bluesky. This decision marks a significant shift as more organizations distance themselves from X, which has faced ongoing criticism over its content policies.
“The EMA will no longer share content or updates on X, as we believe the platform no longer fulfills our communication requirements,” the agency stated in its announcement.
“Following careful evaluation, the Agency has chosen to create an account on Bluesky,” they added.
EMA representatives were not immediately available for additional comments. A request for clarification has also been made to X.
This transition comes on the heels of similar moves by other organizations, including the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Germany’s foreign affairs and defense ministries, the British newspaper The Guardian, and several UK universities, which have either reduced or completely stopped their activity on the platform.
This change occurs during a time when Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, is intensifying his political involvement in Europe, recently urging German citizens to support a far-right party.
Musk played a role in helping Donald Trump secure his recent presidential victory in the US, but his platform has attracted criticism from disinformation experts for enabling the spread of false information throughout the election process.
The billionaire asserts that his goal for X is to champion free speech.
Since Trump’s election, Bluesky has seen a surge in users, though it remains significantly smaller than its competitors.
The EMA, headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is a decentralized EU agency tasked with the scientific assessment, monitoring, and safe regulation of medicines. It gained prominence during the COVID pandemic as the institution responsible for approving vaccines in the EU.
Meanwhile, the European Commission and other EU entities continue to utilize X. Earlier this month, the European Central Bank began exploring Bluesky, while still maintaining its presence on X.
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