‘Not healthy for our democracy’ – DCMS and minister quit X

The UK Department of Culture, Media and Sport and its secretary Lisa Nandy are leaving social media platform X, citing concerns over misinformation and hate speech. Nandy said the platform 'isn't healthy for our democracy.' The attorney general's office previously stopped using X last month.

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has announced that her organisation is joining a growing band of public bodies to cease using the social site over concerns about misinformation and hate speech The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is set to leave social media platform X, becoming the second government department to do so. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy pictured above , who also confirmed she would leave the platform in a personal capacity, said that the website “isn’t healthy for our democracy”. Ministers have been under growing pressure to leave the platform, previously known as Twitter, following concerns about misinformation and its role in AI-generated sexualised images. The attorney general’s office became the first department to stop using the platform last month. Attorney General for England and Wales Richard Hermer is reported to have told officials to no longer use it due to concerns over racism and violence. Related content Councils and local gov figures consider Twitter future https://www.publictechnology.net/2025/03/12/communities-housing-and-planning/councils-and-local-gov-figures-consider-twitter-future/ ‘TikTok doesn’t just enable abuse – it promotes it’, specialist law-enforcement unit finds https://www.publictechnology.net/2026/03/27/public-order-justice-and-rights/tiktok-doesnt-just-enable-abuse-it-promotes-it-specialist-law-enforcement-unit-finds/ ‘This is innovation, and it is a good thing’ – exploring government’s growing use of influencers for public messaging campaigns https://www.publictechnology.net/2025/11/06/government-and-politics/this-is-innovation-and-it-is-a-good-thing-exploring-governments-growing-use-of-influencers-for-public-messaging-campaigns/ Announcing the decision for her department, Nandy said: “I’ve decided to leave this platform and my department will too. A platform originally designed for free speech and expression now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate. It isn’t healthy for our democracy or our communities and I don’t want to support it.” Labour MPs last year urged government ministers to reconsider the use of X amid concerns about safety, political influence, and its role in amplifying extremist content. The Government Communication Service is currently undertaking a review into usage of the site. The government suspended all paid advertising on the platform in April 2023, but ministers have largely resisted coming off the site entirely due to the high number of citizens who still use it. The Scottish Government also continues to use X, although it also has not paid for any advertising since March 2023. It said X was one of a range of platforms used to “increase public awareness and encourage uptake of key policies”. Across the wider public, a variety of organisations – Devon County Council, North Wales Police, and the NHS’s Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital – have closed down their account. A version of this story originally appeared on PublicTechnology sister publication Holyrood