A question has been raised over whether Reading Borough Council will leave X/Twitter like others have done up and down the country.
X, formerly known as Twitter, is one of the most used social media platforms in the UK, coming in the top six platforms for usage.
It was acquired by tech billionaire Elon Musk in October 2022, a move that has proven divisive over perceptions about a rise in racism and ‘disinformation’ since he took over.
Devon County Council has stopped use of X entirely, Southampton City Council has announced it will no longer post on it, Oxfordshire County Council is withdrawing from the platform, and neighbouring Wokingham Borough Council has also stepped back from using X due to low engagement.
However, such measures are unlikely to be taken in Reading.
That’s because X is the council’s biggest social media platform, with more than 26,000 followers, followed by 18,972 on Facebook, 13,229 on LinkedIn, and 5,263 on Instagram.
While 590 profiles have unfollowed the council this month, it will stay on the platform.
This information was given in an answer to a question by councillor James Moore about the council’s use of the platform and its effectiveness in reaching residents.
Cllr Moore (Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst) said: “A growing number of local authorities across the UK have withdrawn from X, with many citing declining public engagement and questions about whether maintaining a presence on the platform remains a good use of council time and resources.
“These decisions have often been made alongside broader concerns about the platform’s direction since Elon Musk’s acquisition, including the spread of misinformation and a rise in harmful content.
“If engagement is low or declining, or if the platform no longer meets the standards the Council would expect of its communications channels, does the Council have any plans to withdraw from X and redirect that resource to channels where residents are more actively engaged?”
A response by Ellie Emberson (Labour, Coley), lead councillor for corporate services, was read out by council leader Liz Terry in cllr Emberson’s absence.
Cllr Terry (Labour, Coley) said: “I very much appreciate the sentiment of your question and am mindful many councillors on our side have opted to make the move to Bluesky or close their X account owing to the general distaste for Elon Musk, the manosphere he has enabled and his general inability to ensure the platform is what it once was.
“Having said that, officers recommend remaining on X at this time.
“The team use a social media management tool that allows them to post content to all channels simultaneously, so there is no extra effort required when posting specifically to X.
“Whilst they have seen a decline in followers on X, the team will continue to keep this account open for the time being and continue to use it when appropriate, mainly for news updates and important announcements, like during an emergency situation, where we require a multi-channel approach to get information to as many people as possible.”
The answer was given at a full council meeting on March 24.
