BMW, the German luxury car maker, faced criticism on Thursday after its UK division abruptly announced on X (formerly known as Twitter) that it would no longer be posting on the platform. Many users attributed this move to a bizarre form of protest against the social media site’s owner, Elon Musk, who recently faced scrutiny for an awkward gesture during an appearance at President Trump’s inauguration, which many interpreted as the Nazi salute.
BMW UK‘s announcement, which stated, “We’re no longer posting on X,” without providing a reason, was met with swift backlash from X users. Critics pointed to BMW’s own troubled history with Nazi Germany, highlighting the company’s reported use of slave labor during World War II, for which it expressed “profound regret” in 2016.
“This you?” alt-right activist Jack Posobiec wrote, posting a black-and-white photo of Adolf Hitler touring a BMW facility.
One user quipped, “This historic event marks the first time a BMW has signaled before lane departure.”
Few users shared an image of an older BMW with a symbol associated with the Nazi Germany as they called out the luxury car brand.
Other people also jumped on X to bash the BMW UK over the announcement. “We’re not posting on X because we think
@elonmusk is a Nazi. Literally was a company in Nazi Germany that profited of the war. Please make it make sense,” said Dylan Pierce, an author according to his X bio.
When reached for comment, a BMW UK spokesman clarified that the division would “continue to be active on X” despite no longer posting on the account, as reported by the New York Post. The spokesman added, “The social media presence of BMW Group brands is managed by each country/region to address their unique requirements. In the UK we’ll continue to be active on X, providing a dedicated customer support channel to meet the needs of our customers. This approach will differ across our brands and regions, reflecting the specific needs of each market.”
Meanwhile, Musk, who has been accused of giving a Nazi salute, fired back at his critics, saying, “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
He also shared images of other leaders and celebrities making comparisons while defending his action. Earlier in the day, Musk also expressed his frustration over seeing Nazi salute posts saying ‘he’ll lose his mind’.
History of BMW with Nazi Germany
BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke), founded in Munich in 1916, played a significant role during Nazi Germany’s regime in the 1930s and 1940s. The company supplied engines for German fighter planes, including the Focke Wulf FW190, and contributed to the German military’s air superiority. To meet wartime demands, BMW employed forced laborers, convicts, and concentration camp prisoners across several facilities, including those near camps like Dachau and Sachsenhausen, according to the Jewish Virtual library’s website.
The Quandt family, which gained control of BMW after World War II, had deep ties to the Nazi regime. Gunther Quandt, a Nazi Party member and Hitler’s “leader of the armament economy,” profited from the “Aryanization” of Jewish businesses and used around 50,000 forced laborers in arms manufacturing. His son Herbert also oversaw a facility employing female slave laborers, including Auschwitz prisoners, also claimed the library website.
In 1983, BMW publicly addressed its wartime history and later became a founding member of a foundation compensating former forced laborers. The Quandt family’s involvement in Nazi crimes was further exposed in a 2011 report, acknowledging their complicity during the war.
Then, during BMW’s centenary celebrations in March 2016, the renowned German automobile manufacturer issued a formal apology regarding its activities during World War II. The company expressed “profound regret” for its historical actions, specifically acknowledging its role in providing vehicles to the Nazi regime and its use of forced labour during that period.
