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The Government’s use of X – formerly Twitter – hasn’t been reviewed since well before Labour came to power last year, it has emerged.
A parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat peer Mark Pack asked whether the Government has considered creating official accounts on the smaller open-source rival Bluesky, set up by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and launched publicly last February.
The minister, Ruth Smeeth (Baroness Anderson), replied that there had been no Government review of its use of X since April 2023. Some major platform changes and controversies have exploded over the site since then.
The Government frontbencher also said it does not pay for ads on the platform. But Government figures have shown little sign of reducing their usage of X, despite the Elon Musk-owned company standing accused of ‘profiting from hate’, as a recent Centre for Countering Digital Hate report argued.
The April 2023 review date given by the minister is particularly striking, Lord Pack says, given what’s happened since then:
- The platform’s comprehensive rebrand from Twitter to X
- The launch and integration of AI-tool ‘Grok’ into the platform, which has repeatedly spouted conspiracy theories, and called itself ‘Mecha-Hitler’ recently, in a reply that appeared to encourage genocide
- The platform’s role in spreading incendiary misinformation during last summer’s anti-migrant riots in England
- Owner Elon Musk’s own predictions of ‘civil war’ in Britain, and many users’ apparent backing for racist strife being amplified by the platform
- The move from official verification of notable users to gain ‘Blue Tick’ status – to it being available to anyone who pays, and handing them a disproportionate engagement boost via the algorithm
- Major advertisers pulling out due to owner Elon Musk’s conduct and lack of moderation on the site
- Bluesky’s explosive growth (from around 580,000 users in April 2023 to nearly 36 million by April 2025)
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Critics have questioned why there’s been no official review into the use of X, despite its dramatic shift towards the far-right under Musk’s ownership.
There are growing concerns about public sector organisations’ continued presence on X, though few have dropped use of the platform altogether.
Lib Dem peer Mark Pack, who asked the question and who is prominent on Bluesky, told Byline Times: “It is surprising and disappointing that at the same time as the Government is saying it is taking a ‘test and learn’ approach to improving how it does things, the Government is failing to acknowledge the major changes for the worse at X under Elon Musk.
“With so many people moving from X to other places, such as Bluesky, the Government should be embracing the variety of social media rather than sticking so tightly to X.”
Imran Ahmed, CEO & Founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, also told this newspaper: “Not only has X changed significantly since April 2023, with developments such as the introduction of Grok and a change in leadership, our latest research also shows that X has done nothing to address violent incitement and threats against Muslims and migrants.
“These calls have already led to serious consequences across the country. Given the platform’s broad influence on communities, it is fair to question whether an assessment that has not been conducted in over two years is truly sufficient.”
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Report finds X is still failing to take down calls for violence against Muslims and migrants despite the messages “clearly violating” the platform’s own rules
Despite the Government’s claim in the parliamentary response, claiming there are no ministerial accounts on Bluesky, Scotland Secretary Ian Murray MP does have an active Bluesky account. The House of Commons, House of Lords and the Commons’ Speaker also have official accounts on the platform.
On Bluesky itself, UK users are calling for the Government to establish a presence on alternative platforms. Some Government departments are now using Meta-owned Threads in addition to X. Others suggested the Government is “scared of Elon Musk” or deliberately avoiding review due to political considerations, namely fears of a right-wing backlash.
Professor Alan Finlayson, a professor of social and political theory at the University of East Anglia, said: “A Government [that is] this out of touch with how communications works in the country it governs isn’t going to be able to govern very well.” It comes as No 10 hosts its first ever reception for online influencers in Downing Street, a sign of a potential shift in its approach to traditional vs ‘new’ media.
Nick Davies, programme director at the Institute for Government, added: “Given everything that has happened on Twitter/X in the last two years it is astonishing that the [Government] hasn’t even reviewed its use of the platform.”
Some UK public-sector bodies – including Devon County Council, North Wales Police, and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital – have left X since its takeover by Elon Musk.
“In the latter case, the hospital explained its decision with a statement, issued in August 2024, which said that the platform ‘is currently not a safe, healthy or inclusive environment to engage and interact with our communities, and does not reflect our values, nor those of the NHS’” the magazine Public Technology reported.
Baroness Anderson, who gave the official Government reply in the Lords, was deputy director of the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate from 2010-2015.
It is unclear how the Government’s SAFE (Social media Assessment Framework for Evaluation) system actually works – and what constitutes a “major” platform update which would, the Government says, trigger a review.
If a total rebrand, a rapid growth in misinformation, significant algorithm tweaks, repeated terms of service alterations, the impact of the introduction of the Online Safety Act, and the integration of a deeply controversial AI tool does not count, voters may be wondering what is…
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Lord Pack’s Parliamentary Question in Full
Question from Lord Pack, Liberal Democrat life peer: “To ask His Majesty’s Government whether they have considered creating a Gov.uk account on Bluesky, and if so, when that consideration took place, and what the outcome was.”
Answer: Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent (Labour whip in the Lords)
“The Government Communications Service (GCS) undertakes assessments of platforms, such as X and Bluesky, when there are significant platform updates. The last assessment on X was made in April 2023.”
“SAFE is the single, comprehensive framework that the Government uses for these assessments, providing thorough guidance and processes to ensure appropriate use of digital advertising environments.”
“The platform X is currently used for non-paid communications activity only (also known as ‘organic’ activity). There are currently no Government or ministerial accounts on Bluesky and no SAFE Framework assessment has been completed.”
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