UK Attorney General Halts Departmental Use of X Amid Rising Disinformation Concerns

Attorney General Richard Hermer ordered his department to stop posting on X, the Elon Musk-owned platform, except when specifically combating disinformation. The directive follows recent civil disturbances that Hermer linked to X-facilitated agitation.

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In early June 2026, violence erupted in Southampton after false claims of a racist assault were circulated on X; 11 police officers were injured. Six days later, Belfast experienced riots after far-right activists used X to call for demonstrations in response to a stabbing charge against a Sudanese refugee. A Northern Irish MP described the Belfast disorder as comparable to a “pogrom.” Both incidents highlighted concerns that X is being leveraged by actors to amplify communal tensions.

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• Richard Hermer – Attorney General, initiator of the X suspension.

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• Downing Street – Historically defended X for public outreach, arguing the platform is necessary to reach citizens.

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• Ofcom – Media regulator tasked with overseeing X’s compliance; awaiting its first quarterly report, due in at least two months.

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• Keir Starmer – Opposition leader who previously threatened to block X over AI-generated sexualised imagery.

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• Elon Musk – Owner of X, publicly called for the overthrow of the UK government and has been associated with far-right commentary.

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• Early June 2026 – Southampton unrest; 11 police officers injured.

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• Six days later – Belfast riots following far-right calls on X.

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• June 18 2026 – Hermer announces the suspension of X for his department.

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• June 18 2026 – Downing Street announces a ban on many social-media sites for users under 16, extending a prior Australian measure.

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• Mid-July 2026 (earliest) – Planned amendment to the Online Safety Act to accelerate removal of inflammatory content during crises.

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• Police injuries in Southampton: 11.

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• Under-16 social-media ban: applies to “many” platforms.

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• Online Safety Act amendment: slated for implementation mid-July 2026 at the earliest.

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• Ofcom’s first quarterly compliance report from X: not due for at least two months.

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Hermer’s suspension marks the first UK government department withdrawing from X, signaling heightened scrutiny of platform-mediated discourse. It foreshadows broader regulatory action, including the upcoming Online Safety Act amendment and potential expansion of age-based access restrictions. The move underscores tension between the need for wide public reach and the imperative to curb platform-facilitated disinformation.

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Downing Street reiterated that X remains essential for reaching citizens, emphasizing that any formal reprimand will be handled by Ofcom. Hermer, speaking on the European Convention on Human Rights, warned against “crypto-funded millionaires” exploiting debates to sow division. Keir Starmer’s earlier threat to block X was noted but not acted upon pending Ofcom’s review.

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Downing Street’s position contrasts with Hermer’s precautionary stance, arguing that removal from X could limit governmental communication effectiveness. Critics of the suspension point to the platform’s role in disseminating real-time information during emergencies.

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• No publicly available data on the volume of disinformation removed from X after the directive.

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• Unclear timeline for Ofcom’s enforcement actions beyond the two-month reporting window.

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• Absence of detailed metrics on the impact of the under-16 ban on platform usage.

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> “We simply cannot let a very small group of crypto-funded millionaires of this world get away with using the debate about the ECHR or drawing closer to the EU to sow more division in this country – we cannot allow them to draw lines between our communities.” — Richard Hermer, Attorney General

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The government will pursue the Online Safety Act amendment in the coming weeks, while Ofcom prepares its first quarterly compliance assessment of X. Further restrictions on social-media access for minors are expected to be detailed in subsequent policy announcements.

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