University of Groningen Stops Using Social Media Platform X

X User © Job Doornhof

The University of Groningen’s X account will no longer be actively used by the university. The announcement was made in an official statement by the university last week. The University of Groningen (UG) states that the “changing dynamics of the platform” and the spread of false information are also reasons for the university’s decision. 

“The main reason for this decision is that we noticed that X has become less effective. We’re just reaching fewer people,” Elies Wempe-Kouwenhoven, spokesperson for the university, tells The Glass Room. When asked if ethical considerations also played a role in this decision, Wempe-Kouwenhoven responded that it was mostly a decision about optimizing the UG’s communication strategy.

However, the university’s decision does come at a time when X is becoming increasingly controversial due to platform owner Elon Musk’s public support of US President Donald Trump and right-wing, populist parties in Europe, such as Reform UK and Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Musk’s controversial political position was exemplified by the hand gesture he made at Trump’s inauguration, which was recognized by many as a Nazi salute. In addition, Musk has cut down on moderation and fact-checking on X, which many people believe has led to an increase in misinformation and hate speech on the platform. 

“I totally get why organizations would leave because they realize we have a whole community of people who would feel harmed if, for instance, a Nazi salute would happen in front of them,” says associate professor of Journalism at the University of Groningen, Scott Eldridge. “Organizations, like the university, can take a stance by saying we won’t buy into this anymore. And there are alternatives to serving an online community. An institution has values and has a community it needs to be responsive to. To stop using X can be a decision that is in line with that.” 

Use of X in the Netherlands 

The University of Groningen is not the only institution that has stopped using X. Other Dutch universities, including the University of Utrecht and the Free University Amsterdam, have also suspended their activities on the platform. Additionally, many companies in the Netherlands, such as ProRail, Bol.com, and De Nederlandse Loterij, have stopped advertising on X. 

Data derived from Newcom © Job Doornhof

Almost half a million individual users in the Netherlands have left X in the last year, which is a reduction of approximately 14%, according to the National Social Media Study 2025 conducted by research agency Newcom. The study does not show the reasons for this development, but many former users have voiced their concerns about the political influence of the platform and its changing online environment.

“I have stopped using X right after Trump’s inauguration because I attach a lot of value to free information that is not influenced from above by politics or big tech”, says Jan-Willem Peeters, a consultant and executive coach for organizations, who works in the Netherlands and China. “In China, you can clearly see why a free flow of information is important, because there is a lot of state censorship there. I value freedom of expression and democracy, but X is undermining that.” 

However, some users still see value in the app despite its controversies. Arthur van den Berg works in greenhouse horticulture and uses X for business reasons. “For work, we are still using it to share and receive information because the information and communication on X can still be useful to us,” says Van den Berg. “But I’m not using it a lot outside of work. There is a lot of nonsense, biased information, and negativity. I’m mostly doing what is really necessary for the business.”