Many police officers in the UK have withdrawn from Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, due to concerns about its role in promoting violence and extremist content, according to a Reuters investigation into social media activity.
X, formerly known as Twitter, has been used to spread misinformation, which sparked protests across the UK this summer. Additionally, it has reinstated dormant UK-based accounts that were previously banned for extremist content.
Musk’s comment in August, suggesting that a civil war in Britain was “inevitable,” drew criticism from Downing Street and police chiefs.
Critics argue that Musk’s approach fosters hate speech, although he claims to champion free speech and has referred to Britain as a “police state.”
In October, Reuters reported that North Wales Police had ceased posting on X.
According to the latest investigation, other police departments are also moving in the same direction.
Reuters tracked posts on X from 44 police departments in the three months leading up to 13 November, focusing on those posting less frequently compared to a year earlier. Reuters then contacted these departments.
One of the UK’s largest police forces, West Midlands Police, which serves Birmingham, the UK’s second-largest city, reduced its X posts by about 95% year-on-year during this period.
Lancashire Police in northern England decreased its use of X by around three-quarters compared to a year earlier.
Derbyshire Police, serving one million residents in central England, last posted on 12 August and has since only responded to queries via X. It has also announced it is reviewing its social media presence.
Communications on X
Other police forces stated that X remains useful for providing updates, such as road closures, but platforms like Facebook and Instagram are better suited for reaching communities.
X did not respond to a request for comment.
X has been a key communication tool for the UK government, public services, institutions, and millions of people for over a decade.
As of October, it had just over 10 million UK app users compared to 4.5 million for Threads and 433,000 for Blue Sky, according to digital market intelligence platform Similarweb.
However, its usage is declining, with UK app users of X dropping by 19% compared to a year earlier, Similarweb data shows.
The government continues to post on X but no longer uses it for paid communications. Instead, it uses Meta’s Instagram and Facebook networks for advertising, according to a government source last month.
Several prominent organisations, including The Guardian and the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, have left X over concerns about its content.
Also read: The Guardian will no longer use X
Source: ANA-MPA
