UK attorney general tells staff to stop using X amid disinformation concerns

The attorney general has told his office to no longer post on X, making it the first UK government department to stop using the Elon Musk-owned platform amid increasing worries about its use to incite violence and racism. Richard Hermer’s office last posted on X on Friday, and it is understood that officials have been told to no longer use the site, unless for the specific purpose of combatting disinformation there. Downing Street has repeatedly defended the use by departments of a platform whose owner has called for the UK government to be overthrown and which is regularly criticised for promoting far-right and racist opinions, as officials say it is necessary to reach the public. But the move by Hermer’s department is the first sign of change, as ministers increasingly worry about the impact of social media. It is understood that Hermer made the decision after disorder in Southampton and Belfast earlier this month, and is increasingly worried about how X, more than other platforms, is being used by bad actors to attempt to divide communities. He is also known to understand why other parts of government stay on the site, but has made the decision for his own department. …