Why We're Saying No to X Premium: Our Stand on Principle
Have you ever felt like the ground shifted beneath your feet while using a platform you once trusted?
Welcome to FreeAstroScience.com, where we break down complex scientific principles into simple terms. Today, we're sharing something personal. Something that weighs on us. We've decided not to renew our premium profile on X (formerly Twitter), and we owe you an explanation.
This isn't about money. It's about values.
What Sparked This Decision?
The news broke just days ago. On December 6, 2025, the European Union fined X €120 million for violating transparency rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA) . That's a significant penalty. It signals that regulators believe X isn't playing fair with its users.
But here's where things took a darker turn.
Elon Musk didn't just disagree with the fine. He declared what Italian newspaper La Repubblica called a "personal war" against the EU . His response? A post stating: "The EU should be abolished and sovereignty returned to individual countries, so that governments can better represent their people" .
Then came the moment that stopped us cold.
Musk reposted an image showing a swastika emerging from beneath the European Union flag. The caption read "Fourth Reich." His comment? "Pretty much" .
Let that sink in.
A billionaire who owns one of the world's largest communication platforms endorsed comparing a democratic institution—however imperfect—to Nazi Germany. This isn't political commentary. This is recklessness dressed up as rebellion.
The Expulsion of the European Commission
It didn't stop there. X removed the European Commission's advertising account from the platform . The stated reason? Allegations that the Commission published "misleading content in an improper manner."
Brussels pushed back. A spokesperson clarified: "The European Commission always uses all social media platforms in good faith" and "employs the tools made available" by those same platforms, including X's own "Post Composer" feature .
So let's be clear. The EU fined X for breaking transparency rules. Musk responded by:
- Calling for the EU's abolition
- Endorsing Nazi comparisons
- Kicking the EU's advertising account off the platform
This isn't a disagreement about policy. This feels like retaliation.
Why We Can't Stay Silent
We're FreeAstroScience. A small team passionate about sharing the wonders of the cosmos with curious minds everywhere. Our mission has always been simple: keep your mind awake.
We believe in questions. In evidence. In the slow, beautiful work of understanding the universe one discovery at a time.
But science communication depends on trust. When we share an article about exoplanets or explain how gravitational waves work, you trust that we're giving you accurate information. That trust is sacred to us.
Paying for premium visibility on a platform whose owner compares democratic institutions to the Third Reich? That feels like a betrayal of everything we stand for.
Here's our aha moment: Silence is a choice. And choosing to pay for prominence on X right now would make us complicit in something we don't believe in.
We can't do that. We won't.
The Bigger Picture: Free Speech vs. Accountability
Musk frames his battle as a fight for free expression. He accuses the EU of "penalizing American digital companies and suffocating freedom of speech" .
There's a real debate here. Where does platform regulation end and censorship begin? How do we balance open discourse with protection against misinformation? These are hard questions. Thoughtful people disagree.
But endorsing Nazi imagery isn't free speech advocacy. It's provocation. And when that provocation comes from someone with the power to shape global conversations, the stakes are enormous.
Consider the context. Musk was born in South Africa. His maternal grandfather, Joshua Haldeman, was an activist who defended apartheid . Musk has faced scrutiny for repeating gestures that resemble fascist salutes on multiple occasions . None of this proves intent. But it creates a pattern that's hard to ignore.
When someone with that history endorses "Fourth Reich" comparisons, we don't just shrug it off.
What This Means for FreeAstroScience
Let's be practical. What changes for you?
Nothing dramatic. You'll still find us on X with our regular account. We'll keep posting about space, physics, astronomy, and the endless mysteries of existence. Our content isn't going anywhere.
But we won't pay for a blue checkmark that no longer means verification. We won't fund a platform engaged in political warfare against democratic institutions. Our premium budget will go elsewhere—maybe toward better content, maybe toward platforms that treat users and creators with respect.
We're figuring it out. And we're doing it together.
A Reflection on Values
Running a science communication project in 2025 is complicated. Social media algorithms decide who sees our work. Platform policies shape what we can say and how we can say it. We're always navigating trade-offs.
But some lines shouldn't be crossed.
At FreeAstroScience, we believe in keeping minds active. We believe the sleep of reason breeds monsters—a phrase from Goya's famous etching that reminds us what happens when we stop thinking, stop questioning, stop holding power accountable.
Right now, X feels like a place where reason is sleeping. Where inflammatory rhetoric gets rewarded. Where democratic norms are mocked and authoritarian gestures are normalized.
We refuse to sleepwalk through this moment.
You're Not Alone in This
If you're feeling uneasy about all this, you're not alone. Many creators, scientists, and educators are asking the same questions. Should I stay? Should I go? Does it even matter?
It matters. Every choice sends a signal. Where we spend our time, attention, and money shapes the world we live in.
We're not telling you to leave X. That's your decision. But we want you to know where we stand. And we want you to know that standing for something—even when it's uncomfortable—is part of who we are.
Final Thoughts
Deciding not to renew our X Premium subscription wasn't easy. The platform still hosts brilliant science communicators. Conversations happen there that don't happen anywhere else. Walking away from premium visibility means accepting less reach.
But principles cost something. If they didn't, they wouldn't mean anything.
So here we are. A small science blog, planting a flag. Saying: We choose transparency over tribalism. Accountability over algorithms. Values over vanity metrics.
Thank you for reading this far. Thank you for caring about the choices we make.
The universe is vast, beautiful, and waiting for you to explore it. Come back to FreeAstroScience.com whenever you need a reminder of that. We'll be here—keeping your mind awake, one star at a time.
Because the sleep of reason breeds monsters. And we're not about to fall asleep.
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