UK universities join retreat from Elon Musk’s X amidst growing misinformation

UK universities have joined other British institutions in distancing themselves from Elon Musk’s X, citing growing misinformation on the platform as the reason for the move.

A survey conducted in early 2025 by Reuters found that several prominent universities, colleges, and art conservatoires have quit or scaled back their use of X, formerly Twitter. The survey examined 150 official accounts, focusing on those with little or no recent activity.

Among the institutions reducing their presence, London Business School, one of the world’s top business schools, last posted to X in September 2024. Falmouth University’s account also became inactive the same month, while Plymouth Marjon University confirmed it no longer uses the platform.

A […] study by TrustLab […] found X had the highest proportion of misinformation among major social media platforms

At least seven of the University of Cambridge’s 31 colleges have also stopped posting. Homerton College, the largest by student numbers, stated: “We know this platform is becoming increasingly toxic. We will continue to assess our presence on X and monitor emerging alternatives”.

Top arts institutions are following suit. London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance has deleted its X account, while the Royal Central School of Drama and Speech has been inactive since August 2024.

These moves reflect a wider trend among UK organisations. Devon County Council suspended its account in January 2024, with North Wales Police and The Guardian following suit by ceasing operations on X last year.

Most organisations cite the rising misinformation as the driving factor. Since Musk acquired X in 2022, content regulation has largely been replaced by Community Notes, a system of user-led fact-checking.

A September 2023 study by TrustLab, a misinformation-monitoring start-up, found X had the highest proportion of misinformation among major social media platforms.

The official @uniofwarwick account, with 94.7 thousand followers, has also continued posting this year

Misinformation concerns were heightened last Summer when X was criticised for its perceived role in fuelling anti-immigration protests and riots. Civil unrest spread to several UK cities in July and August following a post on X that incorrectly identified a murder suspect as “a Muslim immigrant”.

Some universities, including the University of East Anglia and London Metropolitan University, also cited declining engagement as a reason for withdrawing.

Despite this trend, many UK universities remain active on X. Though some of its colleges are distancing themselves, Cambridge University’s main account has posted 33 times since the start of 2025. The official @uniofwarwick account, with 94.7 thousand followers, has also continued posting this year.

Warwick’s Politics and International Studies Department, however, did quit the platform in December last year, citing X as “no longer a safe space for our community”.

Meta’s recent decision to replace independent fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram raises questions about where UK universities, retreating from X, might turn for a reliable alternative.