The UK attorney general has instructed his office to cease posting on X, marking the first government department to withdraw from the Elon Musk-owned social media platform. This decision follows growing concerns over the platform’s role in inciting far-right violence and spreading racist content.

Richard Hermer’s office reportedly made its last post on X last Friday and has since directed officials to avoid using the site, except for targeted efforts to combat disinformation. The move comes amid unrest in Southampton and Belfast earlier this month, where far-right groups used X to mobilize and provoke division within communities.

Hermer is understood to have taken this step due to the platform’s heightened use by hostile actors seeking to inflame tensions. He reportedly acknowledges why other government departments continue to utilize X to engage with the public, but has chosen to remove his own office from the platform to reduce potential harm.

The recent outbreaks of violence involved significant clashes with police and targeted attacks on minority communities. In Southampton, protests triggered by the case of 18-year-old Henry Nowak—who died from a stabbing incident that was initially misrepresented as racially motivated—led to injuries for eleven officers. Six days later in Belfast, far-right activists called demonstrations following a stabbing incident involving a Sudanese refugee charged with attempted murder. Reports from Northern Ireland described the unrest as comparable to a pogrom, with minority-ethnic residents’ homes attacked and health workers subjected to questioning about their backgrounds while traveling to work.

Multiple far-right figures, often endorsed by Musk himself, actively promoted these demonstrations via the platform. While Downing Street has historically defended government use of X, citing its importance for public communication, ministers are increasingly concerned about its potential to exacerbate social divisions.

Earlier this year, Labour leader Keir Starmer warned that X could face a ban in the UK unless it addressed the circulation of illicit sexualized images generated by its Grok AI tool. The platform subsequently took action to remove the content. Following the Belfast riots, government officials deferred to media regulator Ofcom regarding any enforcement measures, though any intervention is expected to take two months or more.

In response to the broader issue of harmful online content, ministers plan to amend the Online Safety Act to compel social media companies to act more swiftly during riots and crises. However, these new obligations are not anticipated to come into force before mid-July. Meanwhile, Downing Street recently announced restrictions barring use of several social media platforms by individuals under 16, a move supported by Hermer among other cabinet members seeking tighter regulation of digital spaces.