Several major British police forces have significantly reduced their presence on X, formerly Twitter, amid mounting concerns over the platform’s role in promoting extreme content and misinformation, according to a Reuters survey of police social media activity.
West Midlands Police, serving Britain’s second-largest city Birmingham, has cut its posts on X by approximately 95% compared to last year, while Lancashire Police reduced its platform activity by three-quarters. Derbyshire Police hasn’t made an original post since August 12, limiting activity to responding to queries.
The shift follows X’s controversial handling of UK-related content, including the platform’s role in spreading misinformation during summer riots and Elon Musk’s August prediction of “inevitable” civil war in Britain, which drew sharp criticism from Downing Street and police leadership.
North Wales Police became the first force to completely abandon the platform, stating, “As X was no longer an effective communication medium, this change hasn’t affected our abilities to reach our communities.” Other forces report shifting focus to platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which they find more effective for community engagement.
The exodus occurs despite X’s significant British user base of over 10 million, though usage has declined 19% year-over-year according to digital intelligence platform Similarweb. The platform remains larger than competitors Threads and Blue Sky, with 4.5 million and 433,000 British users respectively.
Police forces maintaining some presence on X cite its utility for operational updates like road closures, while acknowledging changing communication preferences among their audiences. “We understand that, as the digital landscape changes, so too does our audiences’ channels of choice,” Lancashire Police said in a statement.
The retreat reflects broader institutional concerns about X’s content moderation and leadership under Musk, who has described Britain as a “police state” while defending his approach to free speech. Several prominent organizations, including The Guardian newspaper and the Center for Countering Digital Hate, have already left the platform.
The British government has also distanced itself from X, maintaining a presence but avoiding paid communications while continuing to advertise on Meta’s platforms. The shift marks a significant change for a platform that has served as a primary communication tool for British public services for over a decade.
