Cartoon Rights International Network(CRNI) is the world's first human rights organisation dedicated exclusively to defending cartoonists' freedom of expression for the past two decades.
On 22 December, the group announced that it was leaving Twitter in a statement in which it explained its reasons for leaving, which I have translated and reproduced in full below:
Effective immediately, CARTOONISTS RIGHTS will cease posting content on Twitter, now known as "X", until there is a change of ownership and a noticeable improvement in the website's policies and functionality.
Following recent policy and performance changes at Twitter/'X", and the public actions of its owner, Cartoonist Rights will cease using its site as a means of outward communication with immediate effect.
These issues include: increased exposure to proprietary artificial intelligence training processes, and the removal of titles or headlines (Cards) from web links posted on the site, making them difficult to search and benefiting false and misleading posts; Elon Musk's endorsement of anti-Semitic disinformation in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas incursion into Israel on 7 October and of a racist conspiracy theory on 15 November, a statement that this supposed free speech absolutist would be banning expressions of Palestinian solidarity from the rostrum for alleged genocidal intent, his repeated validation of the "pizzagate" conspiracy theory, and his tacit support for numerous hate peddlers including bereaved parent slanderer Alex Jones and alleged human trafficker Andrew Tate; news that it would sue independent watchdog Media Matters, and, most recently, evidence that "X" turns a blind eye to racism, homophobia and sexual harassment on its platform as a matter of policy.
Our account will not be completely deleted, as some cartoonists may wish to continue to use it to contact us, with the caveat that we believe that "X" (like all unencrypted platforms) should not be used to transmit sensitive information.
If you can, we encourage readers to follow us on Bluesky. You can also find us on Mastodon, as well as on Facebook and Instagram. We also recommend subscribing to our monthly newsletter.
Bluesky - @cartoonistsrights.bsky.social
Mastodon - @cartoonistsrights@newsie.social
Facebook - @cartoonistsrights
Instagram - @cartoonistsrights
In making this decision, our director, Terry Anderson, stated:
"Social media is a double-edged sword for cartoonists, giving them the opportunity to share their work widely, quickly and cheaply. With that opportunity comes backlash, often organised and sometimes extremely abusive, especially towards women (we discussed these issues in our recent report).
"Those responsible for these platforms have rarely, if ever, protected genuine freedom of expression. Nor can they be trusted to fairly enforce their own rules and guidelines. It has long been abundantly clear that many account holders who systematically violate 'X' policies on hate content are allowed to continue posting, while those who express legitimate political views are suppressed. Last week's revelations confirm that this is not a failure, but a deliberate policy coming from the top of the company".
"I constantly review our social media presence to determine whether it is worth the effort to maintain some kind of following. In the past, Twitter has allowed us to make very important contacts. I notice that other organisations are struggling with the question of whether or not these benefits outweigh the negatives".
"However, it is now quite clear that the site's owner intends to make 'X' useless to those acting in good faith, and a haven for rampant disinformation and venomous invective. I cannot justify the continued use of their service, nor can I disagree with Anne Hidalgo's analysis; enough is enough."
