Vancouver Councillor Moves to End Use of X.com for Meeting Updates

URGENT UPDATE: A Vancouver councillor is taking swift action to stop the city’s reliance on Elon Musk’s X.com for live meeting updates. Green Councillor Pete Fry is set to table a motion titled “Breaking up with the X: Equitable Access for Real-time Council Agenda and Speaker Updates” at the city council meeting scheduled for next Wednesday.

Currently, the city clerk’s X account is the sole source for tracking real-time meeting developments, leaving many residents in the dark. Fry’s motion underscores significant accessibility challenges for those lacking an X account. “Sole reliance on X.com for real-time online updates poses accessibility challenges for residents who do not use or cannot access the platform,” the motion states.

Fry highlights the frustrations of constituents during lengthy sessions, such as the multi-day meetings on the 2026 budget, where over 600 people signed up to speak. These individuals expressed their dissatisfaction with the exclusivity of updates on X, emphasizing their struggle to keep pace with proceedings.

The councillor’s concerns extend beyond accessibility. His motion also points out broader issues with the platform, stating, “Research indicates X.com promotes disinformation and misinformation, fosters political polarization, and may be involved in election interference.” This raises critical questions about the platform’s neutrality as a government communication tool.

Additionally, Fry references alarming incidents involving X.com’s AI chatbot, Grok, which has produced antisemitic and extremist content, leading to reputational risks for public institutions. “Recent controversies… raise reputational and ethical concerns for public institutions using the platform,” Fry argues.

In response, Fry is urging the city to transition to its official website and meeting portal as the primary source for live updates. He proposes leveraging existing tools to embed updates directly on the city’s platforms. Furthermore, Fry is calling for a public education campaign to inform residents about this critical change and the reasons behind it.

This motion marks a pivotal moment in Vancouver’s approach to transparency and accessibility in local governance. As the debate unfolds next week, the implications for residents and their ability to engage with council activities remain paramount.

Stay tuned for further developments as this story progresses.