Halifax council votes overwhelmingly to discontinue using X platform

Anjuli Patil · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 08, 2025 6:36 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

Halifax regional councillors voted astir unanimously connected Tuesday to halt utilizing the Elon Musk-owned societal media level X by July 15 and yet transition to Bluesky Social.

The 16-1 ballot comes after a unit study highlighted concerns astir the level formerly known arsenic Twitter and pursuing statement connected its effectiveness as a connection tool. The determination applies lone to the eight accounts overseen by firm communications unit connected behalf of the municipality. 

"Let's not overstate the worth of X, it wasn't truthful agelong agone the RCMP were nether truthful overmuch disapproval astir Portapique for conscionable relying connected X, truthful this is not our lone accusation root and it shouldn't be," said Coun. Sam Austin, referring to the connection failures related to the 2020 wide shooting.

Austin, who no longer uses his idiosyncratic X account, said the level has go excessively politicized. He said Musk, the unelected billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX who was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump to tally the precocious created Department of Government Efficiency, is "part of a authorities that means america harm precise openly."

Trump has talked astir annexing Canada arsenic the U.S.'s 51st authorities and started a commercialized warfare by imposing tariffs connected immoderate Canadian goods. Musk has besides been accused of giving 2 Nazi salutes during the statesmanlike inauguration successful January. 

Needing X relationship to spot X posts

Coun. Jean St-Amand said X is taxable to algorithms and is "no much oregon little effectual than immoderate different societal media level that is taxable to the commercialized whims that thrust the assemblage engagement."

St-Amand also pointed retired that people request to motion up for an X relationship successful bid to gather information from it, limiting its usefulness arsenic a wide connection tool.

Coun. David Hendsbee was the lone councillor to ballot against the motion.

"I don't similar censorship of immoderate benignant and adjacent though X from clip to clip whitethorn person immoderate revolting opinions connected determination … I judge that my worldly I similar to station is not revolting astatine each and I similar to support the usage of it due to the fact that it has a broader penetration of the marketplace, I conjecture you could say, with the wide public," Hendsbee said.

Why Bluesky arsenic an alternative?

Coun. Shawn Cleary disagreed with Hendsbee.

"You take which mean you privation to explicit yourself in. If you're saying we person to beryllium connected X, past we should besides beryllium advertizing successful the National Enquirer and we should beryllium moving worldly connected Rebel News and we should beryllium connected Truth Social. Like that just doesn't marque immoderate consciousness astatine all," Cleary said.

"The proprietor of X has stated that Canada isn't a existent state and is moving with the orange feline down southbound to virtually destruct our economy. Why? How would we enactment that?"

Municipal unit determined Bluesky, the societal media level Halifax volition yet determination to, is "the astir viable alternate to X" fixed its "growing adoption complaint and a relation plan that is tailored for users seeking access to time-sensitive information."

"Also, Bluesky's user-driven moderation system, on with a committedness to unfastened connection and enhanced idiosyncratic experience, aligns with the organization's values arsenic good arsenic the principles guiding its assemblage engagement," said a unit report.

Other Canadian municipalities, including St. John's and the District of North Vancouver, person besides decided to portion ways with X.