Warwick District Council ditches X platform

On 27 November, Warwick District Council suspended the use of its account on the social media platform X, meaning it will no longer be updated with council news or be used to respond to questions.

The news was confirmed by councillors after their latest Cabinet meeting, following speculation that the council was considering leaving the platform emerged earlier in the month.

The motion behind this decision, approved on 1 October, was fuelled by concerns that continued use of the platform, which has seen rising levels of misinformation, violated Warwick District Council’s Equality and Diversity Policy Statement.

The announcement […] comes after similar decisions to discontinue using X were made by the nearby District Councils of Solihull and Rugby in February and March

The announcement from Warwick District Council comes after similar decisions to discontinue using X were made by the nearby District Councils of Solihull and Rugby in February and March respectively.

These councils were also concerned about the controversial nature of content shared on the platform. Solihull councillor James Bradley linked the rise in “hateful content” that has been spread over the platform to X’s acquisition by Elon Musk in 2022.

Bradley further said that Solihull’s council could have been “tacitly accepting” the aforementioned content if they continued to use X as an official platform.

Warwick councillor Rebecca Davidson echoed these concerns, stating that Warwick District Council is concerned not only with the platform’s use in “spreading misinformation”, but also with its role in “inciting action.”

A post that directs followers to the Council’s other social media platforms has been pinned on the now inactive X account, and encourages followers to continue to engage with the Council via these alternative applications

Davidson further stated that the Council “no longer wants to be associated with that type of content”, and reassured residents that all other social media platforms will continue to be updated with the Council’s latest news.

A post that directs followers to the Council’s other social media platforms has been pinned on the now inactive X account, and encourages followers to continue to engage with the Council via these alternative applications.

To replace the platform, the District Council’s Marketing and Communication teams are exploring new avenues of engagement, such as the creation of new community-based WhatsApp groups.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Ian Davison, has also been asked to write to local MPs regarding the Council’s concerns, to encourage the Government to do away with its use of X, as the Warwick District Council has.