It seems we can't go a day without controversy on the internet, and when Elon Musk is accused of turning the once flourishing Twitter into a free speech warzone known as X, plenty of that controversy flows from there itself.
Musk is again thrust into the limelight following allegations that he performed a 'Nazi salute' at Donald Trump's inauguration celebrations. While he's clapped back at critics and said the internet is trying to unfairly paint him as 'Hitler', he's then generated further controversy by seemingly comparing Taylor Swift to the Nazi leader. With excuses ranging from his autism to others claiming he was doing the equally controversial Roman salute, the story shows no sign of dying down anytime soon.
Having had enough of X and keen to get out of the drama is BMW, but unfortunately for the automobile giant, trying to duck out quietly hasn't gone as planned.
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BMW was founded in Germany in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, then went on to start making cars in 1929. It has a somewhat murky past thanks to Günther Quandt and his son Herbert Quandt being members of the Nazi party - while funds amassed by Günther during the Nazi era allowed Herbert to buy BMW. The family was 'denazified' after the war and Herbert went on to save BMW from bankruptcy, but with modern heirs Stefan Quandt and Susanne Klatten being two of the top five richest people in Germany, critics aren't adverse to reminding them about the past.
The BMW UK X account said it would no longer be posting on the platform but didn't give a reason. The account then added: "Don’t worry though, our Customer Support team is still here if you need us. You can also see all the latest BMW news by following us on Facebook and Instagram at BMWUK."
The timing couldn't be worse given the recent Musk debacle, and although comments were quickly locked, the reshares have led to some unfortunate remarks.
One person wrote: "Elon just said ‘my heart goes out to you.’ You on the other hand… Your early history is not too clean, is it?”
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Another added: "Shut. Up. So a company that actually went full Nazi in WW2 (check the quote reposts for the BMW swastika logo) is virtue signalling against a fake news "Nazi" salute by Elon Musk. 🤣👌🏻🍒"
Alt-right Jack Posobiec shared a black-and-white photo of Adolf Hitler walking around a BMW facility and wrote, "This you?”
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In 2016, BMW released a statement acknowledging its history and apologized for its use of Nazi slave labor: "To this day, the enormous suffering this caused and the fate of many forced laborers remains a matter of the most profound regret."
Even if BMW is keen to move on, Musk's supporters are less eager to do so.
Still, BMW's X exodus is nothing new as it follows in the footsteps of The Guardian jumping ship last year. While BMW hasn't given a reason, The Guardian launched a scathing attack on Musk and said: "X is a toxic media platform and that its owner, Elon Musk, has been able to use its influence to shape political discourse."
Celebrities ranging from Mark Hamill to George Takei, Stephen King to Lizzo have waved goodbye to X, so at least BMW is in good company as it hopes to leave X in the past with its own misdemeanors.