City of York Council could stop using X, formerly Twitter

The proposals would see the council stop posting on the social media site, formerly known as Twitter, except in emergencies.

A council report stated the proposals came after divisive views have increasingly been amplified on the site and as engagement with its posts has sharply declined.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) was unable to reach X for comment.

It comes as the proposals are set to go before the council’s Labour leader Cllr Claire Douglas on Wednesday, April 23.

The council would keep its account on the site, which was re-branded X following its takeover by Elon Musk in 2022, to stop others impersonating it.

But all posts except those needed to warn and inform the public during certain incidents in line with the council’s legal duties.

Individual councillors will still be able to keep their X accounts regardless of the decision.

The council’s report stated changes to the platform since Mr Musk took control, ending independent fact-checking, meant using it to communicate with residents accurately was increasingly challenging.

X has replaced in-house fact-checking with a Community Notes system where users can provide feedback on others’ posts including disputing claims or providing context.

The council’s report stated the fast-paced nature of X meant negativity could quickly escalate while some content allowed on the platform had been accused of stoking tension in local communities.

The report also cited research from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism which linked X’s lack of moderation and allowing anonymity to a growth in harmful content.

The council’s @CityofYork X account currently has almost 49,000 followers.

It compares with around 19,000 followers on Facebook, about 4,700 on Instagram and roughly 1,500 subscribers on YouTube.

Figures from the council’s consultation on its 2025-6 Budget found eight per cent of respondents preferred X for updates.

Half of respondents preferred Residents Updates, with 43 per cent preferring the council’s website, around a quarter preferring council updates in local media and another quarter on Facebook.

The council’s report stated changes to X’s algorithm meant its posts were reaching far fewer of its followers on the site than previously.

It added people would be re-directed to other sources of its information and updates if the decision is taken to stop posting on X.

The report stated: “There are several high-profile examples of where X has deliberately interfered in right-wing and extreme views, exacerbating and fuelling community tensions.

“This includes amplifying polarising views through the algorithm which has created an echo chamber, sharing false narratives, becoming a battleground for political controversy particularly during elections, public shaming through cancel culture, escalating conflict during crises, and echoing extremist views.

“By choosing to no longer routinely share information on X, the council is demonstrating how it values everyone in the city and making a clear statement it no longer tolerates the abuse, misinformation and extreme views that X has become synonymous with.”

Following the launch of Community Notes, X’s Vice President for Product Keith Coleman said the system was an innovative approach to tackling misleading information.

He added in an October 2023 blog post on the company’s site that the system aimed to balance users’ desires for real-time voices and accurate information.

Mr Coleman said: “Community Notes now address a far wider range of topics than our historic approaches to addressing misleading information.

“When notes are added they are effective- they’re helpful to people across the political spectrum, they measurably inform people’s understanding and they lead people to like and repost potentially misleading content less.”