The SNP Government is considering whether to cease its use of X in the wake of repeated rants by Elon Musk, the First Minister has said.
John Swinney said he would continue posting on the social media site, formerly known as Twitter, for now but did not rule out quitting it altogether in the future.
“I’ll keep considering this, and it’s certainly not my last word on the subject, but I want to use all channels to communicate with the public,” the SNP leader said today.
“But I’ve got to be satisfied those channels are appropriate for me and for my government. So, while I am still using X just now, I will consider further the issues raised by the appropriateness of that, when I see how it is being used by Elon Musk.”
The number of regular users on X has plummeted in recent years since it was bought over and renamed by Musk, a controversial South African businessman known for his political outbursts.
As first reported by the Record, the Scottish Government last year halted all advertising spending on the platform. More than £377,000 was spent on Twitter adverts in 2022 in comparison.
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It comes after Gordon Brown yesterday accused Musk of peddling “a complete fabrication” on how he dealt with grooming gangs when he was prime minister.
The X owner shared online claims the former Labour PM issued a circular to UK police forces effectively telling them not to prosecute rape gangs.
The multi-billionaire also accused Keir Starmer of being “deeply complicit” in a cover-up of grooming gangs.
Online adverts are a key way for ministers to promote important policies such as public health campaigns. But civil servants last bought advertising space on Twitter, since renamed X, in March 2023 – the same month Humza Yousaf became First Minister.
The drop-off in spending came after a long-running row between Musk and the former SNP leader.
Yousaf branded the tech billionaire “one of the most dangerous men on the planet” following remarks made by Musk in relation to rioting in some English towns and cities in August last year.
The businessman and the former SNP leader have clashed several times after Musk called the MSP a “blatant racist” over a 2020 speech in which he pointed out that all senior positions in Scotland are held by white people.
First Minister John Swinney giving a speech at Playfair Library in Edinburgh
Musk also criticised the Scottish Government’s Hate Crime Act which came into force earlier this year.
The row ignited again last month when Yousaf tore into the Twitter owner during an appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The SNP MSP was referring to comments made by Musk when he claimed “civil war is inevitable” following a string of riots in England in the wake of the Southport murders.
Twitter has suffered a huge drop in user numbers since Musk took control two years ago in a deal reportedly worth $44 billion.
The takeover proved controversial as the billionaire proceeded to cut 75 per cent of the tech firm’s employees, including teams charged with tracking abuse and changed how the company verifies authentic accounts.
Musk previously bemoaned the fact Twitter faced a negative cash flow as a result of a 50 per cent drop in advertising revenue.
The platform also faces competition from Bluesky – a new social media offering that hopes to capitalise on Twitter’s recent woes.
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