Gene Simmons is one of the latest artists to leave the social media platform X. Without giving a reason, he recently announced his decision to stop using the platform by writing:
“Friends, I’ve decided to end my X/Twitter posting. From now on, find me on Instagram, TikTok, and Threads.”
Around the same time, Steve Stevens also shared that he was quitting X with a tweet. Similar to Simmons, the guitarist didn’t reveal the reason:
“I will no longer in good conscience be active and posting on this platform. Look for me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.”
Other Artists Are Also Leaving X One By One
The departure of these artists is part of a larger trend. Several musicians have left X in recent weeks, with many subtly hinting at their discontent with changes under Elon Musk’s management as a factor.
For example, The Offspring’s Noodles commented on his departure a few days ago, sharing:
“I’ve had a ton of fun on here with my friends and fans, but I just can’t do it anymore. F**k Elon Musk. F**k bigotry on both sides. I’m outta here.”
Before Noodles, Mike Portnoy and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails also stepped away from the platform. While leaving, Portnoy specifically mentioned his concerns about the platform’s new policies:
“As somebody who has dealt with online imposters, blue check verification is something that I always found to be pretty important to have on social media. With Twitter now stripping everybody of them and enabling anybody to simply buy one and pretend to be anybody with no verification, I think it’s time to bounce from here to avoid any possible confusion or mistaken identity.”
The Reactions To The Departures
These departures caused criticism from some X users and Musk himself. Many followers reacted negatively to Stevens and Simmons’ recent tweets in the comments, with one of them writing:
“In good conscience? Seriously? Coming from Steve Stevens? I love your talent, but good grief! You’re okay with TikTok? Says all I need to know about your conscience!”
Another person posted:
“LoL. So X is bad, but TikTok is good? Make it make sense, please… These old rockers, easy to tell who the sellouts were nowadays, eh?”
Meanwhile, Reznor’s departure in 2022 led Musk to publicly call him a ‘crybaby.’
Friends, I’ve decided to end my X/Twitter posting.
From now on find me on:https://t.co/DXQpuuZHsZ, https://t.co/OocXQKQACM,— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) November 18, 2023
I will no longer in good conscience be active and posting on this platform. Look for me on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
— Steve Stevens (@Stevestevens) November 19, 2023
