N.L.'s public libraries are ditching X, while other groups weigh pros and cons of Musk-owned platform

As organizations consider leaving a controversial social media platform owned by Elon Musk, Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries (NLPL) is making the move as of March 1.

On Wednesday, the organization announced it was leaving X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, but would remain on Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook.

"As an organization, we no longer felt that it was a good fit for us," director of library operations Fred Whitmarsh told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.

There are a number of reasons behind the decision to leave X, he said, pointing to how the discourse on the platform has shifted and the drop off of user engagement the library has seen on its account.

For several years, he said the number of followers on NLPL's account hovered around 4,000, but in recent weeks it has dropped.

When the library posted its decision to leave X on that platform, he said they got 20 comments and shares as opposed to the same announcement on Facebook, which got more 100 comments and shares.

"As a community organization, we need to be where the community is," said Whitmarsh.

He said that level of engagement, compared to other platforms like Instagram, has helped the library determine where they could put their focus on.

"We're a lean organization. We don't have staff who are exclusively dedicated to social media and communications. These are other library staff who are doing this work in addition to their other assigned duties," Whitmarsh said.

The platform launched in 2012 and was bought by Elon Musk in 2022, who renamed it X soon after. Musk is now a member of U.S. President Donald Trump's inner circle and is accused of giving two Nazi salutes at the presidential inauguration in January.

In recent months other government bodies and organizations have either left X or are considering it.

St. John's Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O'Leary brought forward a motion to council on Tuesday, asking them to look into closing the city's X account.

"It has become a vessel certainly of vitriol," she told CBC News in a recent interview.

CBC News recently asked the provincial government if it was considering shuttering its multiple X accounts. Executive council spokesperson David Sorensen said it was a vital way to get information to the public.