N.B. government will no longer use X after child and youth advocate raises concerns

The New Brunswick government is ending its activity on the social media platform X.

Premier Susan Holt confirmed Thursday afternoon the New Brunswick government will stop using the social media platform X for “routine communications.”

The decision comes just hours after the province’s child and youth advocate raised concerns about the platform in an open letter to Premier Holt and her government.

Kelly Lamrock wrote that X has refused to “rein in the use of its platform for the sexualization and exploitation of children,” and that X’s artificial intelligence tool, Grok, allows users to alter an image to show a subject in sexualized positions.

“There have been repeated instances of images of minors being sexualized and shared by X users, and acknowledgement that X has neither taken steps to prevent the practice nor to respond in a timely way to complaints from victims,” Lamrock wrote.

He asked the province to consider ending the use of X – formerly known as Twitter – for all government communications, except in times of emergencies.

In response, Holt called recent concerns about X’s operation “deeply troubling.”

“We recognize that the platform’s recent history, including reports of harmful content and inadequate safeguards, has eroded trust that it can be used in a way that aligns with our values and obligations to New Brunswickers,” she wrote in an emailed statement.

“Given these serious concerns, our government will no longer use X for routine communications.”

On Jan. 28, the City of Fredericton wrote on X it was stepping away from using the platform as of Jan. 31.

While it didn’t state why, it directed residents to follow the city on Facebook and Instagram, or its website.

The official Government of New Brunswick X account last posted on Wednesday, warning people about possible exposure to a case of Hepatitis A.

The province has 11 X accounts listed as its own, including NBEMO, NB Heritage and NB Human Rights Commission, but many of them haven’t been updated in recent months.

NB Power last posted on Nov. 10 that it was moving away from X as well, to Bluesky.

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