UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy quits X over abuse and misinformation

London,UPDATED: Jul 3, 2026 19:02 IST

UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has announced that she and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will leave X, saying the platform now favours "abuse and misinformation" over "meaningful debate". In a post on the Elon Musk-owned platform on Thursday, Nandy said people could continue to follow her on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Nandy, who is of Indian origin, said: "I've decided to leave this platform and my Department will too." She added: "A platform originally designed for free speech and expression now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate. It isn't healthy for our democracy or our communities and I don't want to support it."

Her decision makes DCMS the second UK government department to leave X after Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer barred his department from using the platform last month. Explaining that move, Hermer told the House of Commons Justice Committee: "I can understand why other departments feel they need to be on the pitch, engaging with people, but that is not where the attorney general's office needs to be." He added: "I can engage with people in serious debate, detailed debate, respectful debate without being on a platform that constantly descends to racism and misogyny. I think my department can do better than that."

Nandy's move is also notable because regulation of media and online platforms falls under the DCMS. Opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the decision in her own X post, saying: "DCMS is supposed to counter and deal with misinformation, not run away because it's all too much."

Earlier this year, the UK's Office of Communications opened an investigation into X over what it described as "deeply concerning" reports that its Grok artificial intelligence chatbot had generated sexualised imagery, to assess whether the company had breached the Online Safety Act. The independent media regulator set a "firm deadline" for the Musk-owned company, as several British MPs also left the platform in protest. At the time, X said: "We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing." The platform has also faced criticism from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who accused Musk of "trying to whip up division" in Britain through some contentious posts. Overall, Nandy's departure marks the latest high-profile exit from X by a public office in the UK amid wider concerns over content, conduct and moderation on the platform.

With PTI Inputs

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