The German Cognitive Linguistics Association (DGKL/GCLA) has been more or less active on X, formerly known as Twitter, since 2017. Back then, Twitter used to be a platform that was certainly far from perfect, but still, among other things, it was a good place for the informal exchange of scientific ideas. There are still exciting conversations happening on X, especially on topics concerning Cognitive Linguistics and Construction Grammar. But still, we cannot ignore that the platform has changed for the worse – and, even more importantly, that it is owned and run by a person who spreads misinformation and conspiracy theories on a regular basis, using his reach on the platform for gaining political influence not only in the US but also in other countries, including Germany. The worldview and the goals of right-wing populists like Elon Musk are incompatible with the values that academic discourse should stand for: open-mindedness, respect, integrity in the quest for truth. Many individuals, but also a number of scientific organizations have therefore decided to leave the platform. The board of the DGKL/GCLA has decided to follow the lead of many organizations – including more than 60 universities and research institutions in the German-speaking area – in suspending our activities on X. 

Science may be politically neutral, but scientists cannot be neutral toward political developments that threaten academic freedom. Many examples across the globe have shown that right-wing populism is among the greatest dangers that science faces these days, with right-wing governments defunding universities and implementing anti-science legislation, and some countries even banning entire fields of research. X has become a platform that not only enables the spread of right-wing populism but that actively promotes hate and extremism. As a scientific association, we therefore do not want to support this platform anymore. From now on, you can find us on Bluesky and Instagram – maybe we will be a bit more active there than we used to be on Twitter…