UK universities leave Elon Musk’s X over misinformation

Universities and other higher education establishments have joined a retreat among British institutions from Elon Musk’s X social media platform, citing its role in spreading misinformation that fuelled race riots last year.

A Reuters survey on Tuesday showed several universities have scaled back usage of X to the bare minimum or quit completely, after scores of academics left the platform.

The role of X, formerly Twitter, came under the spotlight in Britain last year during violent racial disturbances.

Musk — a close aide to US president-elect Donald Trump — has since called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to be jailed and for anti-Muslim activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who cofounded the far-right English Defence League and is known as Tommy Robinson, to be released from prison.

Reuters surveyed X accounts of more than 150 universities, their colleges and art conservatoires and contacted those that had made little or no posts in recent months.

They cited concerns over misinformation, content that promotes violence and declining engagement.

London Business School last posted on X in September.

Several British police forces have quit X or cut their usage, it was reported in October. The university survey points to a broader withdrawal among public institutions, even though many universities still post regularly to X.

At least seven of the University of Cambridge’s 31 colleges have stopped posting to X.

“We know this platform is becoming increasingly toxic, so we will continue to assess our presence on X and monitor emerging alternatives,” said Homerton College.

The University of Cambridge said it continued to use X alongside other channels.

At Oxford, Merton College has deleted its X account. It did not respond to a request for comment.

Harris Manchester — another Oxford college — last posted on November 15 and asked followers to find it on other platforms.

The University of East Anglia said its audience engagement on X had plunged 80%.

X did not respond to a request for comment.

Falmouth University last posted to X in September, while Plymouth Marjon University said it would no longer use it. London Metropolitan University cited falling engagement for no longer actively posting.

Buckinghamshire New University said X was “no longer a place where we want to encourage conversations with our university”.

Some top arts conservatoires have also stepped away.

The Royal Northern College of Music said it was “consciously channelling its energy elsewhere”, while London’s performing arts conservatoire Trinity Lab deleted its X account.

Reuters