Government officials have been cautioned against utilizing a specific social media platform due to concerns about false information.
Attorney General Richard Hermer reportedly instructed his office to refrain from posting updates on the platform owned by Elon Musk, marking the first instance of a government department ceasing its use of the controversial platform.
As per reports from The Guardian, officials are now restricted to using the platform solely for the purpose of combating misinformation, amid worries that it is being exploited by ill-intentioned individuals to incite discord and division within communities.
Musk, known for his provocative statements, including calls for the overthrow of the UK government and controversial opinions, acquired the platform in 2022.
While Downing Street has previously defended the use of the platform as necessary for public outreach, the attorney general’s office has become the first governmental entity to discontinue its use of the app.
Recent incidents involving far-right groups exploiting the platform to instigate violence have raised alarms, particularly following tragic events like the death of Henry Nowak and a violent incident in Belfast targeting a Sudanese individual.
Musk has been criticized for amplifying anti-immigration sentiments and supporting far-right figures like Tommy Robinson, using his substantial following on the platform to propagate divisive messages.
The British politician Keir Starmer had previously threatened to block the platform over concerns regarding its features potentially enabling the creation of inappropriate content.
In compliance with the Online Safety Act, tech companies must assess and mitigate the risk of users encountering illegal content on their platforms promptly.
Concerns over the platform’s AI technology have surfaced, with reports suggesting it may have generated explicit content without user input, sparking further controversies.
The Verge reported in August that the platform’s AI bot’s ‘spicy’ video mode was capable of producing inappropriate content, including celebrity deepfakes, raising additional ethical concerns.