Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Susan Dungworth quits 'X' in stand against online hate

Nitin Shukla – Hate and EDI programme lead, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Paul Giannasi, Hate Crime Policy Lead, National Police Chiefs Council, Susan Dungworth – Northumbria PCC, Andrew Hill – Assistant Chief Constable Northumbria Police
-Credit:Northumbria Police


Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Susan Dungworth has announced she has quit social media platform 'X', formerly Twitter, stating she "cannot, in good conscience be part of a community where hatred is so rife."

Mrs Dungworth announced her pledge to move away from the social media platform at a hate crime and community cohesion conference held in Newcastle on Friday.

The Northumbria PCC is not the first person or company to leave the site in recent months. Many have made the move due to the spread of misinformation or disconnect with the site’s values. North East Ambulance Service announced in August that they were leaving the platform over "hate speech and misinformation."

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Susan Dungworth echoed these reasons at a conference entitled ‘Being you is not a crime – communities tackling hate crime together.’ It was hosted jointly by Northumbria Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. More than 160 practitioners from a range of backgrounds and professions attended to discuss the impact of hate crime and explore ways of promoting inclusivity and safety across the region.

Northumbria PCC Susan Dungworth addressing the conference
Northumbria PCC Susan Dungworth addressing the conference -Credit:Northumbria Police

Addressing the conference, Mrs Dungworth said: "I give up my place in the Twitter community, my place is here in this room, in this positive community where all are welcome. Mr Musk can keep his blue ticks and toxicity – it’s not for me.

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"I have seen far too many reprehensible posts – really disturbing content, attacks on gender and religion, homophobic and transphobic abuse, and racism. And let’s not forget the role social media played in stirring up the awful disorder experienced in Sunderland this summer. I cannot in good conscience be part of such a community where hate is so rife."

Mrs Dungworth also took the opportunity to praise the efforts of faith groups and community members who rallied together to pick the region up again following the disorder in the summer. She also praised key services like Connected Voice and Streetwise who delivered emotional and advocacy support to people of all ages and ethnicities who were victimised or affected by the disorder.

She added: "I am very thankful to everyone who stepped up at a crucial time to not only protect but provide support of all kinds to whoever needed it. As Northumbria’s PCC, I’m totally committed to preventing hate crime in our communities and ensuring that victims receive the best possible support, and I’ll keep working with the Force to deliver this. Twitter might be a community full of hate, but we won’t let Northumbria be."