This week, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) announced its departure from X, formerly known as Twitter, after almost twenty years of engagement on the platform. This decision comes as a response to significant changes in the platform’s policies and the diminishing effectiveness of its outreach efforts.
Key Takeaways
- The EFF cites a steep decline in engagement, with impressions dropping over 90% since 2018.
- Changes under Elon Musk’s leadership prompted concerns about digital rights and user safety.
- The EFF continues to advocate for digital rights across other platforms while holding them accountable.
The Decline of Engagement on X
In its heyday, the EFF was a prolific contributor to X, posting five to ten times daily and generating millions of impressions each month. However, recent statistics reveal a staggering drop in visibility, with their 2,500 posts in 2024 only garnering around 2 million impressions. This represents less than 3% of the views achieved by a single tweet back in 2018.
“Today, a post on X receives less than 3% of the views a single tweet delivered seven years ago.”
Changes Under New Leadership
The EFF’s decision to leave comes amidst significant shifts in the platform’s management and policies. Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in October 2022, the EFF has been vocal about its concerns regarding user rights and platform ethics. The organization criticized Musk’s decision to disband the human rights team and reduce staffing in key regions, which previously helped to combat censorship and uphold users’ rights.
The EFF’s Ongoing Commitment to Digital Rights
Despite its exit from X, the EFF remains steadfast in its mission to protect digital rights across various platforms. The organization recognizes that many of its supporters and marginalized communities still rely on mainstream social media for communication and activism. As such, the EFF plans to maintain a presence on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where it can continue to advocate for user rights and expose the pitfalls of corporate surveillance.
The EFF has left X after nearly two decades, citing engagement decline and concerns over digital rights under current leadership.