Halifax council approves motion to look at moving away from X

Councillors in Halifax on Tuesday voted in favour of a motion that will see municipal staff prepare a report looking into the viability of moving the city away from using the social media platform known as X.

The motion was brought forward by Councillor Laura White, who cited growing concern about the platform’s governance going against municipal values of “evidence-based decision making and diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.”

“In the past two-plus years since Elon Musk acquired Twitter (now X) the platform has become less congenial, informative and useful, and more toxic,” Councillor White wrote in her reasoning. “X is no longer a medium that many reputable organizations are comfortable associating with.”

After a lengthy discussion, councillors voted 13 to 3 in favour of the motion. Councillors David Hendsbee, Trish Purdy and John Young voted against it.

“The clincher for me right now is the owner, the very public owner who’s not just another megalomaniac billionaire, but is part and parcel of the presidency in the United States that very much wishes our country ill,” said Councillor Sam Austin.

Councillor Purdy said while she doesn’t support or use X, she was voting against the motion because she believes council should be neutral and not make political statements.

Regional staff will now come back with a report that determines the feasibility of abandoning X. The report, per White’s motion, would provide a timeline for discontinuing use and provide alternative options to distribute information to residents.