British Police Forces Scale Back Presence on X Amid Concerns Over Online Extremism

British police forces are reducing their engagement with the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, amid growing concerns about its role in promoting extremist views and spreading disinformation.

One police force has even completely abandoned the platform.

This shift comes after a summer in which X was used to disseminate disinformation that contributed to widespread riots across Britain, and after several British-based accounts, previously banned for promoting extremist content, were reinstated.

The decision by law enforcement agencies to step back from the platform highlights growing discomfort with X’s changing policies under Elon Musk’s ownership.

Since Musk took over the platform, his approach to content moderation has been described as “hands-off,” allowing a significant increase in the spread of misinformation, hate speech, and extremist content. Many critics argue that this relaxed approach has facilitated the rise of harmful online behavior, making the platform less safe.

X and Extremism: A Growing Problem?

X has long been a valuable tool for police forces to communicate with the public, share updates, and receive information about ongoing investigations.

However, the platform’s current environment is increasingly seen by many as counterproductive to these goals.

This summer’s riots in the UK, triggered in part by disinformation spread on X, brought these concerns into sharp focus.

False reports and incendiary posts circulated widely, escalating tensions in communities already grappling with underlying issues, including economic challenges and social divisions.

One of the key concerns for British police is that X has reinstated accounts that had been previously banned for promoting extremist content.

These accounts often serve as hubs for hate speech and incitement, contributing to a toxic online environment that can fuel real-world violence. The police’s withdrawal from X is, in part, a recognition of the platform’s failure to adequately address these problems.

Musk’s more laissez-faire stance on content moderation is a direct contrast to the stricter policies of the past, when accounts spreading hate or misinformation were swiftly banned.

Now, under his leadership, the platform has become a space where disinformation can flourish, with fewer consequences for those who break the rules. This shift has led to widespread criticism from government officials, civil society groups, and now, police forces.

Police Criticism and Priorities

British police have themselves also faced criticism in recent years for what many perceive as an overemphasis on social media monitoring, particularly on X.

In some cases, police have been ridiculed for focusing too much on finding and responding to social media posts that criticize transgenderism or express other politically sensitive views.

While combating hate speech and ensuring public safety are crucial roles for the police, detractors argue that too much attention is being placed on online commentary at the expense of tackling more pressing issues, such as rising crime rates, which are for more important issues than debate over whether or not a woman can have a penis.

This critique is amplified by the fact that crime rates in the UK, particularly street crime and burglaries, have been rising.

Meanwhile, clear-up rates—the rate at which crimes are solved—have been falling. In some regions, burglaries are rarely investigated, leaving victims frustrated and disillusioned with the police. This decline in traditional policing effectiveness is seen as particularly troubling in light of the growing challenges of street violence, theft, and public disorder.

Some argue that the focus on policing speech online, particularly on platforms like X, is distracting from the core responsibilities of law enforcement. Resources that could be directed towards investigating and solving crimes are being diverted into monitoring social media platforms that are increasingly hostile and difficult to control.

This, critics say, is creating a disconnect between the police and the communities they serve, as officers appear more concerned with managing public perception online than with addressing the rise in everyday crime.

The Future of Police Engagement with Social Media

The scaling back of police activity on X reflects a broader reevaluation of the role social media should play in modern law enforcement. While platforms like X have been invaluable tools for community engagement, the growing prevalence of disinformation and extremism online makes them increasingly difficult for police forces to manage effectively.

In the wake of these developments, it is likely that police forces will look to alternative platforms or develop new strategies for engaging with the public in a way that balances the benefits of social media with the need to protect against harmful content.

Additionally, the shift away from X may signal a broader return to more traditional policing priorities, as the focus moves away from policing online discourse and back towards tackling rising crime and improving clear-up rates.

Ultimately, the withdrawal of British police forces from X highlights the challenges that law enforcement agencies face in navigating an increasingly complex digital landscape. As social media continues to evolve, so too must the strategies that police use to maintain public safety and order—both online and offline.

Main Image: By Southbanksteve – originally posted to Flickr as Many streets were cut off, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6394656