Ministries and authorities on X: Little reach, much hate

A recent analysis by the Center for Digital Rights and Democracy reveals that German ministries and authorities are experiencing diminishing reach and increased hostile engagement on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). This challenges the justifications often cited by these bodies for maintaining an official presence, primarily their informational mandate and perceived platform reach. The study found that posts from German government entities on X receive minimal engagement, with interactions often falling into the single-digit percentage of their follower base. Furthermore, when interactions do occur, they are frequently characterized by aggressive and unproductive discourse, particularly concerning topics related to refugees and crime narratives, often amplified by right-wing extremist accounts. These findings suggest that the strategic rationale for governmental use of X is increasingly undermined by the platform's dynamics, which tend to favor polarization and amplify disinformation. The analysis indicates that the platform's algorithmic recommendations may further exacerbate these issues by steering vulnerable users toward extremist content, making factual communication less effective in counteracting misinformation.