X owner Elon Musk has been criticised by the Speaker of the House of Commons for failing to address threats directed at MPs on the social media platform.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said Twitter used to remove 92 per cent of threatening posts and leave 8 per cent active, but the numbers had now reversed.
In an interview with the BBC, Sir Lindsay said the platform had “changed for the worse” and the government needed to “think long and hard” about what to do with it and other social media platforms.
Talking to Matt Chorley for his new show on 5LiveThe Speaker of Parliament, who is responsible for the welfare of MPs, said that in the wake of the Southport riots, businesses had to “take their responsibilities more seriously”.
“If these social media platforms are not going to work… I think the government will have to think carefully about what they are going to do with social media.”
‘Platforms need to clean up… X is not the platform I knew.
“It’s changed completely. I’d love to say it’s changed for the better, but it hasn’t. It’s changed for the worse.”
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said Twitter used to remove 92 per cent of threatening posts and leave 8 per cent active, but the numbers had now reversed.
This came after a judge in Brazil ordered the suspension of X as part of a long-running dispute between Musk and authorities in the South American country.
In an interview with the BBC, Sir Lindsay said the platform had “changed for the worse” and the government needed to “think long and hard” about what to do with it and other social media platforms.
Following the general election in July, all new MPs were given a panic alert as they faced unprecedented levels of abuse and threats to their safety.
The devices were first supplied as part of House of Commons “welcome packs” as officials step up security measures for politicians facing increasing intimidation and death threats.
They have been available to all MPs who requested them since the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016. They have now been automatically handed out to the 335 new MPs entering Parliament after an election campaign marred by threatening behaviour.
‘“My view is that social media platforms are responsible. We’ve seen that,” Sir Lindsay told the BBC.
‘At one time, X, as they call it now, we could go online and say: “These things are up there; can you take them down?” – threats against MPs.
“To be fair, they were very good at removing most of what we asked them to. Eight percent remained standing and the rest was reduced. Now we’re seeing the reverse, 92 percent is still standing and only 8 percent is reduced. If that happens at all.”
Abuses reported by candidates and volunteers included death threats, insults and spitting, and being followed and intimidated in the street.
Earlier this year, the Home Office announced a £31m package of measures to counter the threat to MPs’ security and Sir Lindsay said last month he had “never seen anything as bad” as the current threat level.
“If there is one thing that keeps me up at night, it is the security of parliamentarians,” he added.
The devices, believed to contain unique codes to identify which MP activates them, were handed out during induction sessions last week, with demonstrations on how to use them.
New MPs who did not attend received alarms as part of their welcome packs, along with their laptops and introductory information.
This comes after a judge in Brazil ordered the suspension of X last Friday as part of a long-running dispute between Musk and authorities in the South American country.
Each new MP has been given a panic alarm, having been supplied as part of House of Commons “welcome packs” for the first time.
Jo Cox was stabbed and shot by a neo-Nazi thug in her home constituency of Batley, West Yorkshire, on 16 June 2016, just days before the EU referendum.
Judge Alexandre de Moraes had warned Musk on Wednesday night that X could be blocked in Brazil if he did not comply with his order to appoint a representative, and set a 24-hour deadline.
In his decision, Jude De Moraes gave internet service providers and app stores five days to block access to X, and said the platform will remain blocked until it complies with his orders.
It also said that individuals or companies using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to access X will be subject to daily fines of 50,000 reais (£6,800).
X has been contacted for comment.
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