Supreme Court of Canada Moves Away From X Platform, Citing ‘Strategic Priorities’

The Supreme Court of Canada is pictured in Ottawa on Dec. 13, 2023. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Canada’s top court said it is moving away from providing information to the public through the social media platform X.

The Supreme Court of Canada made the announcement in a Feb. 26 post on X, which received a high rate of engagement in comparison with its usual posts. Five hours after the court made the post it had over 216,000 views, with many X users questioning the move.

“Dear subscribers – moving forward, we will be focusing our communication efforts on other platforms,” reads the court’s post. “We invite you to follow us on our LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts to continue receiving our updates.”

The Supreme Court’s account on X was opened in 2015 and has over 45,000 followers. By comparison, its Facebook page has 11,000 followers. X comes in second as the most popular app in the “news” category on the Apple App Store.

The court has typically been posting on X about its proceedings and decisions on leave applications.

When asked by The Epoch Times about the rationale for moving away from X, the court’s spokesperson David Lauder said the decision is “based on strategic priorities and resource allocation.”

“We are focusing on platforms that allow us to best serve the public and provide relevant information about the Court’s work within our limited resources,” he said.

Announcements of leaving X, the platform owned by entrepreneur and billionaire Elon Musk, have increased since Musk bought its predecessor, Twitter. Some users cited concerns over content moderation, given Musk’s pro-freedom of speech stance, and more recent moves have been to protest his association and work with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Canadian municipalities Cambridge, Ont., and the District of North Vancouver, B.C., said in recent weeks they were leaving X, citing a difference in values.

British newspaper The Guardian said in November 2024 that it would no longer post on X from its official accounts, calling it a “toxic media platform” that it said Musk uses to “shape political discourse.”

Lawyer Eva Chipiuk was among those who questioned the Supreme Court’s decision to move away from X. She said the decision is “incredibly disappointing and very telling” and pointed to court’s duty to make impartial decisions which impact the lives of all Canadians.

“There are only two ways to lead: you either divide and conquer, or you build and unite,” she wrote on X.