ABC Australia to shut down all of its official accounts on Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has issued a statement announcing the closure of all its official accounts on Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, attributing the decision to high costs and the prevalence of “toxic interactions” on the microblogging platform.

David Anderson, the Managing Director, revealed that ABC News, ABC Sport, ABC Chinese, and ABC Australia will cease their official accounts from Wednesday. Anderson noted that the previous discontinuation of ABC accounts earlier in the year yielded positive results, reducing the occurrence of harmful online interactions.

Explaining the rationale behind this move, Anderson stated in an official release, “There are multiple reasons for this decision.”

This development coincides with ABC’s endeavors to create content for alternative platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Anderson emphasized that a substantial portion of their digital audience is situated on these other platforms, prompting the organization to allocate resources where their audiences are concentrated.

Several journalists from ABC had abandoned the platform due to instances of abuse. Prominent figures like News Breakfast host Lisa Millar and Australian Story host Leigh Sales were among those affected.

Moreover, the decision to close individual program accounts is aimed at minimizing team members’ exposure to the escalating incidents of toxicity. Anderson expressed concern over X’s reduction of trust and safety teams.

The augmented fees introduced after Elon Musk’s takeover of the microblogging site rendered it “increasingly costly to use,” according to Anderson.

Notably, in April, both NPR and PBS discontinued their presence on X following Elon Musk’s labeling of them as “state media.” Similarly, ABC and SBS were also categorized as “government-funded media.”

Contrary to previous indications, as reported by The Guardian, ABC now confirms the decision to withdraw from Twitter altogether. A spokesperson had previously stated that ABC did not have any immediate plans to close its Twitter accounts, mentioning ongoing discussions with Twitter about account verification and labeling changes.