German government may yet quit X over algorithms, spokesperson says

BERLIN (Reuters) -The German government is in ongoing discussions about whether to delete its presence on the X platform due to concerns over its algorithms, a spokesperson said on Friday.

"This is a permanent consideration that we have to make again and again," the spokesperson said, a day after a live talk on the platform between billionaire owner Elon Musk and Alice Weidel, leader of Germany's far-right AfD party.

X and other social media platforms have algorithms that do not promote "a calm, objective and balanced discourse, but rather one that tends to be agitated and polarising," the spokesperson said.

She added that for now, a decision had been taken to remain on the platform because of the fact that it enabled access to a wide audience.

Musk has become increasingly vocal in his support for far-right and anti-establishment parties in Europe ahead of Germany's Feb. 23 election, prompting German institutions including unions and universities to leave his platform in protest.

In a live talk on X on Thursday, Musk doubled down on an earlier endorsement of the AfD, an anti-immigration, anti-Islamic party labeled as right-wing extremist by German security services. Musk's stance on the AfD has caused consternation in Berlin.

The government spokesperson denied that concerns about X were linked to Musk's involvement in German politics, saying that it was up to Brussels to decide whether X was complying with the law in the run-up to elections.

(Reporting by Friederike Heine; editing by Matthias Williams, William Maclean)