Flashing Palely in the Margins
Letter to city council of London, Ontario to stop using X (formerly Twitter) for official city communication
To London City Council:
I am writing you to request that the City of London stop using X (formerly Twitter) as a method of distribution for official city communication.
The X platform has become increasingly associated with hate speech, intolerance, and bigotry, and has failed to adequately address harmful content that targets marginalized groups based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, and other protected characteristics.
Additionally, information is hard to find due to the algorithmic nature of the X feed, which prioritizes viral content over information shared by trusted channels. X has done nothing to stem the tide of disinformation that can undermine the importance and trustworthiness of official city communication.
Other Canadian civic institutions, such as the City of Cambridge and the Supreme Court, have already taken steps to remove their reliance on X for outreach.
By maintaining a presence on a platform where discriminatory behaviour is prevalent and under-regulated, the city risks legitimising or indirectly supporting the harmful narratives that thrive there.
It is my hope that council will consider shifting its official communications to channels that best serve the public. I am happy to help advise in this endeavor if so needed by council.
Thank you for your consideration, and I am happy to answer any further questions you may have.
With hope and appreciation,
Sameer Vasta
Ward 9 Resident, London
This letter was sent directly to my city councillor, Anna Hopkins, and Mayor Josh Morgan by email and postal mail on February 28, 2025.
If you live in London, Ontario, please consider writing to your councillor as well. Feel free to take whatever language you need from here to write your letter.
Update: Here’s a response I got from Councillor Hopkins.
Thank you for your advocacy in considering the city of London and Council to reframe from using X. As a City Councillor, I have stopped using X and would encourage you to reach out to all of Council to do the same.
In the meantime, happy to discuss how we as a City can support using other social media platforms. I can be reached on my cell at …
Update: Here’s a response I got from Mayor Morgan.
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns regarding the City of London’s presence on X (formerly Twitter).
To be clear, we do not align with or support Elon Musk’s views, nor do we endorse the troubling rise in hate speech and misinformation on the platform. These issues are serious, and we recognize the concerns raised by residents about the environment on X.
That said, we continue to use X because it remains a way to reach a significant number of Londoners with important city updates, emergency alerts, and public service information. While the platform has its challenges, it is still a tool that allows us to communicate directly with residents who rely on it for timely updates.
At the same time, we recognize the importance of diversifying our communication channels and are actively exploring ways to expand our outreach on other platforms to ensure that we are reaching Londoners in the most effective and inclusive ways possible.
We appreciate your feedback and will keep your concerns in mind as we assess our communications strategy moving forward.