Oxon Travel is moving on social media as council quits X

Oxfordshire County Council has announced it will be using WhatsApp for specific travel updates from tomorrow (Friday, April 10).

OxonTravel is used by the county council to provide daily travel updates, including road closures and traffic collisions.

In January, it announced it will stop using X, formerly known as Twitter, over concerns about the rise in hate speech and abuse towards women and girls.

Numerous other public bodies in Oxfordshire have also decided to leave the site.

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As part of its phased approach, the county council will leave X entirely by Friday, April 17.

It will use other social media channels and its website to keep people informed and engaged. This includes, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, Blue Sky, WhatsApp and Youtube.

Ofcom’s investigation into the AI-chatbot Grok to create and share sexualised images of children is ongoing.

Liz Leffman. (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Liz Leffman, county council leader, said she welcomed Ofcom’s decision to investigate the site under the Online Safety Act in a meeting last December.

The county council said: “Public bodies have a responsibility to stand up against hate and abuse, particularly when it targets women and girls.

“Where platforms fail to provide a safe and respectful space for communities, we must make clear and principled choices about how we communicate.”

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have removed their profiles.

Cherwell District Council has kept its profile to avoid imitation but it has stopped posting.