UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has announced that she and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will stop using Elon Musk's social media platform X, saying it no longer supports healthy public debate.
In what appeared to be her final post on X, Nandy said the platform had become harmful to democracy and communities.
She said a platform that was originally created to promote free speech and expression now gives greater space to abuse and misinformation than to meaningful discussion.
Nandy added that she would continue communicating through Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Her decision was criticized by Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who argued that the DCMS should confront misinformation rather than leave the platform.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's office said the government regularly reviews its use of social media but confirmed that Downing Street would continue using X. The spokesperson added that individual ministers and government departments can decide for themselves whether to remain on the platform.
DCMS is the second UK government department to leave X after the Attorney General's Office stopped posting on the platform last month.
Attorney General Lord Hermer defended that decision, telling lawmakers in June that X frequently became a place for racism and misogyny and that his department could better engage in respectful and detailed public discussions through other channels.
He said while some government departments may need to interact with the public on X, the Attorney General's Office did not.
Prime Minister Starmer has also been critical of X owner Elon Musk, accusing him of using the platform to increase divisions in the UK following the murder of student Henry Nowak last month.
The case sparked violent protests in Southampton after police body-camera footage showed officers handcuffing the 18-year-old as he lay dying. His killer, Vickrum Digwa, had claimed he was acting in response to a racist attack.
The release of the footage triggered widespread political debate and drew criticism from Musk over the police's handling of the incident.
Earlier this year, several Members of Parliament, including Liberal Democrats Layla Moran and Vikki Slade and Labour MP Darren Paffey, also left X after reports that its Grok artificial intelligence tool had been used to create sexualized images, including images involving children.
X has previously said that anyone who uses or prompts Grok to create illegal content will face the same consequences as users who upload such material.