Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has launched a scathing attack on Elon Musk's social media platform X, calling it an "absolute disgrace" for failing to engage with the government on tackling online harassment and the sharing of private information designed to intimidate users.
Nandy was responding to concerns about how social media companies are addressing the posting of intimidatory messages online, particularly the practice of doxxing—publishing private details such as addresses that could put individuals at risk. Her comments follow a meeting she convened yesterday with representatives from multiple social media platforms to discuss their responsibilities in preventing such abuse.
The culture secretary's intervention was prompted by the sustained online harassment that volunteers with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) have been experiencing from anti-migrant activists who oppose the charity's role in rescuing people from small boats in the Channel. According to reports on the abuse, the offending posts about RNLI volunteers were viewed at least two million times.
Speaking on Times Radio this morning, Nandy outlined the inconsistency in how different platforms handle harmful content:
I had the social media companies in to see me yesterday to talk to them about their responsibilities in this regard. All of the different social media companies have completely different terms of service, different standards that they apply to online hatred directed at individuals. Some of them will automatically remove that content. Some of them, frankly, won't. X didn't even bother to turn up yesterday, which I think is an absolute disgrace.
What action is the government taking?
Nandy has committed to tightening legislation to prevent doxxing and ensure that shared personal information is removed swiftly from platforms. She told MPs that she had already spoken with tech companies about the sharing of RNLI staff and volunteers' names, addresses and photographs online, and said she is "personally concerned" about doxxing.
I have made a commitment to the RNLI and to, not just charities but public sector workers, police officers, and others who are being routinely harassed and abused online in the course of work, that we will tighten up the law. We will make sure that where, for example, people's addresses are being published online, that we just do not allow that to happen, that those things will have to be either blocked or taken down immediately. We cannot have a situation where not just charity volunteers, but shop workers and social workers and police officers are being routinely harassed online in the course of their work.
Nandy said she will convene a roundtable with social media platforms on Tuesday afternoon to discuss harmful online content and doxxing, with further action under consideration to stop the practice.
Why has X drawn particular criticism?
X's absence from yesterday's meeting with Nandy reflects broader tensions between the government and the platform. Nandy previously stated in July that the culture department would stop using X because it "favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate", marking an escalation in the government's stance toward the platform.
The decision by X not to send a representative to discuss safeguarding measures stands in contrast to other social media companies, which attended the meeting and outlined their approaches to removing harmful content. This absence appears to have reinforced Nandy's criticism of the platform's approach to user safety and its willingness to engage with regulatory concerns.
What is the broader context?
The RNLI has faced sustained online and physical abuse following its rescue operations in the Channel, with police investigating threatening social media commentary aimed at volunteers. The charity continues to carry out its humanitarian mission despite the hostility it has encountered from those opposed to migrant rescue efforts.
The government's push to address doxxing comes as multiple public sector workers, including police officers and social workers, report being routinely targeted with harassment and abuse online. Nandy's commitment to legislative change reflects recognition that existing safeguards are insufficient to protect individuals whose personal information is weaponised against them.
What happens next?
The roundtable meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon will bring together representatives from social media companies to discuss the government's expectations for tackling harmful content. Nandy has indicated that the outcome of these discussions may inform further legislative or regulatory action to strengthen protections against doxxing and online harassment.
