VW joins Mastodon as concerns over Twitter mount

Jessica Thompson

Volkswagen has set up accounts on fast-growing Twitter alternative Mastodon amid questions over the future of the social network under Elon Musk.

VW confirmed it created the handles @VWGroup and @Cariad_Tech on Mastodon for communications related to its group and software unit, respectively.

“Mastodon is an attractive platform that we would like to try out,” the automaker said in a statement on Friday.

VW is among a number of major car brands that have paused advertising on Twitter following Musk’s buyout of the platform.

While the automaker maintains several Twitter accounts, it has been distributing less content in recent days, and its premium brand Audi has halted posting altogether.

Mastodon, an open-source micro-blogging platform run by a German non-profit, has seen a surge in sign-ups since Musk took over Twitter.

Uncertainty hangs over Twitter’s ability to continue normal operations after the company dismissed its executive team and roughly half the workforce in Musk’s first few days in charge.

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