North Somerset Council has made the decision to cease using X (formerly Twitter) due to concerns about the platform’s tolerance for racist content.
The council’s X account, which boasted over 12,000 followers, has been abandoned in favor of Bluesky, where it currently has a mere 121 followers. The council’s final post on X, dating back to March 3, conveyed that the platform was only to be used for emergency communications.
Furthermore, the council urged the public to report issues on their website and offered alternative channels for staying updated, such as subscribing to the council newsletter or following their other social media accounts. The shift in platforms follows a statement by a councillor in January denouncing X as a platform that now tolerates racism.
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During a full council meeting on January 14, Joe Tristram, representing Banwell and Winscombe for the Green Party, expressed his concerns, stating, “I think probably many of us would like to distance ourselves from a platform that is nowadays either frankly racist or at least tolerating a lot of racist stuff, as well as other highly dubious things.”
North Somerset Council had been a part of the platform, then known as Twitter, since February 2009. Council leader Mike Bell acknowledged the growing trend of organizations, including Devon County Council, choosing to depart from the site, now called X. Bell expressed his willingness to address the issue, emphasizing the need to strike a balance between combatting intolerance and racism while also providing a platform for free speech.
Despite abandoning X, the council remains active on other social media platforms, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, and Youtube, accessible under the handle @northsomersetcouncil. Additionally, they can be found on Instagram as @northsomersetlife and on Bluesky as @northsomersetc.
