Dublin City Council leaves Twitter in wake of AI scandal

Dublin City Council has become the latest in a series of high-profile organisations that have left Twitter in light of the ongoing Grok AI scandal.

As reported in the Jan 7 version, the Green Party and its leader, Roderic O’Gorman made the decision to leave the platform in late 2025.

Green Party sources told this publication that the amount of abuse the party was facing on Twitter was simply “not worth the effort” and noted a clear bias towards conservative voices since the acquisition of the platform by Elon Musk in late 2022.

The Greens’ departure was soon followed by the Social Democrats and their Dublin TDs Gary Gannon and Cian O’Callaghan, along with Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick, Fine Gael’s Minister for Culture Patrick O’Donovan, and Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger, blowing a hole in the narrative that it was merely progressive parties that were leaving Twitter.

Since then, the likes of Paralympics Ireland, Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Ireland, and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties have also left the platform.

In a statement, Paralympics Ireland said “the organisation has identified that its resources and focus are better directed towards platforms that consistently offer a constructive environment for athletes, supporters, partners and staff, and that support clear, reliable and respectful communication.”

Rachel Morrogh, Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Ireland, said, “as we look for leadership in an increasingly chaotic and dystopian world, the presence of many politicians, businesses and government departments on Twitter continues to give this social platform legitimacy.”

“It remains imperative that, as well as taking legal action, our leaders demonstrate moral authority in removing themselves and their brands from a site that is positioned so clearly against the rights of women and children. 

In more blunt terms, Labour MEP Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said, “what we have seen since then (post-Trump’s 2024 election victory) is an acceleration of that decline, alongside the rapid rise of far-right movements that use the platform to spread racism, misogyny and political extremism.”

“The emergence of Grok and the generation of sexualised deepfake material, including content involving minors, marks a dangerous new phase. This is not just offensive or unethical content. It is potentially criminal material, and platforms have clear legal duties to prevent, remove and report it. In my view, Twitter has failed that test.”

“There are those who will insist that we cannot act because of the potential for retribution from the US administration – this is an assertion I entirely reject. The European Union cannot be afraid of potential blowback from Donald Trump, Elon Musk or anyone else,” he said.

Closer to home, the Greens’ 8-strong cohort on Dublin City Council proposed a motion before this month’s meeting of Dublin City Council, asking the council to cease the use of the platform.

The Greens’ motion, seen by Northside and Southside People, reads “the members of Dublin City Council call on the Executive to stop using the platform immediately in all City Council sectors.”

“Twitter has become a vehicle for abuse, and the promotion of far-right, racist and divisive politics. In the last week, several regulators at home and abroad have launched investigations into the platform due to a potential criminal breach,” they noted.

The crux of the current scandal surrounds Grok, the platform’s AI platform, which has been used to AI generate child sexual abuse material.

The Greens noted that Grok was “relentlessly pushed out by Elon Musk,” and said that Grok has been “violating individual rights whilst potentially breaching laws governing child safety and harassment communications.”

“Grok has been editing images under prompts from users and re-uploading said images back on the platform to reshare. Users have been requesting Grok to nuditify images of women and minors,” the Green councillors said.

They noted, “this feature allows the creation of child sexual abuse material, and images of sexual harassment. No action has been taken by the platform to prevent this, or punish users involved in the creation of this material.”

They have called on all departments of Dublin City Council to immediately cease posting on the platform, and have called for all other local councils in Ireland to cease posting.

While the motion was submitted to late to be discussed at this month’s meeting of Dublin City Council (which took place on January 12), the council has since made the decision to quit Twitter.

Green councillor Feljin Jose explained that while the motion wouldn’t have been heard at the council meeting, it was referred to the council’s Protocol Committee, who made the decision to leave the platform.

Green councillor Hazel Chu told the Irish Independent, “it felt very wrong that Dublin City Council was using the platform to promote library times when that very platform is generating and sharing child sexual abuse material,” she said.

“The HSE is also paying Twitter for a premium account to communicate advice on women’s health when the same platform is literally stripping women of their mental health and privacy. Every politician, political party and state agency needs to come off Twitter,” she said.

Fellow Green councillor Ray Cunningham said, “Twitter used to be known as the digital town square. Now the town square is full of billboards showing CSAM and sexual harassment images, and the owner is shouting into a megaphone about the great replacement theory. It’s time to leave.”