Donegal County Council to close down X accounts

Donegal County Council is to begin an exit strategy to leave the social media platform X.

The local authority is arranging to close down its main account and other department accounts on Elon Musk’s platform by the end of February.

The move comes in light of controversies over harmful content on X and its AI chatbot ‘Grok’ being used to create sexual images.

The European Commission today launched a new formal investigation against X under the Digital Services Act (DSA) over its use of sexually explicit images, including content that may amount to child sexual abuse material.

Cllr. Michéal Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig brought a successful motion to the council asking that the local authority delete all of its official accounts on X (formerly Twitter).

“X has become a platform where the sexual abuse and exploitation of children and adults is widely reported and insufficiently addressed,” Cllr Mac Giolla Easbuig said.

“As a public body with a duty of care, the Council should not maintain a presence on, or lend credibility to, a platform that fails to adequately protect users from such harm.

“The Council should instead use other communication channels that better align with its safeguarding responsibilities and public values.”

Councillor Declan Meehan, who seconded the motion, said the move was not about restricting free speech, but “whether a public body should continue to endorse and amplify a public platform that no longer meets basic standards of safety, accountability and reliability.”

Cllr Meehan added that X has become a major vector of misinformation and disinformation.

“For a local authority like ourselves, accuracy and public trust are essential. Communicating through a platform known for misinformation risks confusing the public and damaging confidence in official communications,” said Cllr Meehan.

“Deleting an official account sends a clear signal that the council will not compromise on these standards.”

Donegal County Council has more than 13,000 followers on X and uses it, alongside local media and Facebook, to send out public service messages.

Richard Gibson, Director of Finance, Corporate Services and Information Systems, said that the local authority’s reliance on X has diminished and reduced significantly over recent times.

In addition to the Council’s main X account, several other X accounts exist to promote the work of individual Council sections. These include accounts relating to the Local Enterprise Office, libraries, County Museum, diaspora, and others.

“It is feasible for us to do as asked,” Mr Gibson told Councillor Mac Giolla Easbuig, adding that Donegal County Council would not be alone in divesting itself from X. Dublin City Council, The National Women’s Council, The Irish Refugee Council Swim Ireland and Paralympics Ireland are among the agencies to step away from the site.

Mr Gibson asked for a time period up to the end of February to carry out an “exit strategy” to ensure that the Council can inform the public and service users that it is leaving the platform and to guide users to other platforms where they can get council updates.

Donegal County Council to close down X accounts was last modified: January 26th, 2026 by Staff Writer

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