Peterborough City Council has endorsed a motion calling for the discontinuation of the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, citing concerns over its handling of hate speech and misinformation.
The motion, submitted by Councillor Matt Crowley, highlights the platform’s failure to adequately address harmful content and the potential risk of associating with ideologies conflicting with the city’s values of inclusivity and nondiscrimination. While the city maintains other social media accounts like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, which offer similar communication capabilities, the motion recognizes that Peterborough Transit relies on X to communicate service changes to customers.
However, to reduce dependency on social media, the motion calls for city staff to report back during the 2026 Budget deliberations with recommendations for new communication tools. This includes implementing a Snow Plow Tracker and a smartphone app for Peterborough Transit, allowing for customer notifications and better service.
The resolution also approves the discontinuation of the city’s use of X, except for Peterborough Transit, Fire Services, and emergency information as necessary.
(Written by: Scott Arnold)
