A Richmond city councillor is asking the city to get off the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
Citing a letter from Richmond resident Michelle Li about the increasing toxicity on the platform, Coun. Laura Gillanders is suggesting the city migrate to Bluesky and other social media platforms.
In her letter, Li notes the owner of X, Elon Musk, who is currently working alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, recently posted that “Canada is not a real country.” The post was subsequently deleted.
Li also notes X has more and more posts that contain threats to immigrants, people of colour and the LGBTQ community.
“Is this really where you want to ‘build engagement’? Is this where our tax payer dollars should going, having staff members post on this hate-filled platform?” Li asked in her letter to city council.
When many large organizations move to Bluesky, “others move along with them,” Li said in her letter.
“Please do no wait until our elections are rigged, when people have bought into the lies that they are being fed via this platform,” Li wrote. “Please act now for the good of our city and our country.”
Li first appealed to the city in early February to get off X/Twitter.
The city’s initial response was they have more than 11,500 followers on X, which allows them to engage with the public.
City spokesperson Clay Adams told Li at that time that it’s “important that we not turn our back on that audience overnight, so there are no immediate plans to close any of our X/Twitter accounts.”
The city had recently launched a Bluesky account, Adams added.
However, her second appeal, which is included in Gillanders’ motion, states the “situation has become increasingly volatile on this platform and with the owner of the platform.”
Gillanders' motion is on the agenda for next Monday's committee meeting.
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