The attorney general's office has become the first UK government department to stop using X, after Richard Hermer ordered his staff to no longer post on the Elon Musk-owned platform amid mounting fears about its role in inciting violence and spreading disinformation.
Hermer’s office last posted on Friday, and officials have been told to only use the site for the specific purpose of combatting disinformation there, according to sources. The decision was triggered by violent disorder in Southampton and Belfast earlier this month – unrest that far-right agitators, often endorsed by Musk, had used X to call for.
“Attorney General Richard Hermer’s office becomes first UK government department to stop posting on X after riots.”
In Southampton, 11 police officers were injured during protests over the case of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old who was handcuffed as he lay dying from a stab wound after his killer called police and falsely claimed to have been the victim of a racist assault by the teenager. Six days later, violence erupted in Belfast after far-right activists used X to mobilise against a stabbing attack for which a 30-year-old Sudanese refugee was charged with attempted murder. One Northern Irish MP compared the disorder to a “pogrom” after homes of people from minority ethnic communities were targeted for attack and health workers were stopped and questioned about their background.
Musk, who bought the platform in 2022, amplified calls for protest. He wrote to his 240 million followers: “Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change.” He also boosted anti-immigration posts from Tommy Robinson and Rupert Lowe, leader of the far-right party Restore Britain. Musk has repeatedly called for the UK government to be overthrown, telling a rally: “Violence is going to come to you, you will have no choice. You either fight back or you die.”
Hermer is understood to be increasingly worried about how X, more than any other platform, is being used by bad actors to divide communities. While Downing Street has defended the use of X as necessary to reach the public, Hermer’s move marks a shift. Earlier this year, Keir Starmer threatened X with being blocked in the UK if it did not act over a mass of sexualised images produced by its Grok AI tool, and X subsequently acted. But after the Belfast riots, No 10 said any action would be left to Ofcom, meaning nothing would happen for around two years.
Hermer’s department is the first sign of change, as ministers increasingly worry about the impact of social media. He understands why other parts of government stay on the site, but has made the decision for his own office.