Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says department will stop using X
Lisa Nandy announced that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will no longer use the social media platform X, citing abuse and misinformation.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has announced that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will stop using the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. In what was described as her last post on the site, Nandy said X now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate and is not healthy for democracy. The move makes DCMS the second government department to quit the platform, following the Attorney General's office.
The decision has drawn criticism from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who said the Culture Department is supposed to counter and deal with misinformation, not run away. The announcement has sparked a wider debate about whether the government should leave the platform or take stronger regulatory action to change its behaviour.
Speaking on Channel 4 News, former Twitter vice president Bruce Daisley described the platform as appalling, pointing to examples such as a man being paid $1,400 a month for posting racist tweets as part of X's creator program, the spread of sexualised images without consent, and the promotion of right-wing propaganda. He argued that the government should not simply walk away but should use its power to regulate, including holding local directors personally liable for non-compliance, as France has done.
Labour MP Rupa Haque defended Nandy's decision, calling it courageous and principled. She said X has become a hate-filled, toxic cesspit that rewards hatred, and that leaving sends a strong message that the department does not align with those values. She noted that the platform is withering in terms of daily engagement, with Ofcom figures showing 6.9 million daily users compared to Facebook's 34 million, and that many accounts are bots.
The debate highlighted the tension between free speech and the need to curb misinformation. Daisley argued that international cooperation with Europe and other countries is the best approach, and that the UK should not allow the richest man in the world to peddle misinformation unchecked. Haque acknowledged that the government could do more but said Nandy's move was a bold statement. The Culture Secretary has left the door open to returning to the platform if conditions improve.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 4 |
|---|---|
| Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the department's decision to leave X, saying it should counter misinformation instead of leaving. | |
| Ofcom reported that X has 6.9 million daily UK users compared to Facebook's 34 million. | |
| The Department for Culture, Media and Sport left X, becoming the second government department to do so after the Attorney General's office. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 4 News focused on the debate between leaving X versus regulating it, featuring two guests with contrasting views. The tone was critical of X's current state but also questioned the government's inaction, framing Nandy's move as a symbolic gesture rather than a substantive solution. The segment gave significant airtime to criticism of the platform's toxicity and the need for stronger regulation.
- “Ms. Nandy declared that X now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate, adding it isn't healthy for democracy.”
- “It's this horrible toxic cesspit.”
- “The idea that we're allowed to, we're meant to allow the richest man in the world to park his tanks outside the UK, peddle misinformation. And our only response is Lisa Nandy is now going to withhold her tweets. It's quite embarrassing.”
Broadcast Timeline
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