THAT THE CITY MANAGER BE AND HEREBY IS REQUESTED TO INSTRUCT ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND OFFICES TO DISCONTINUE ALL OFFICIAL POSTING AND ENGAGEMENT ON X WITHIN 60 DAYS; AND TO INCLUDE AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THE CITY WILL NO LONGER USE X.

POR 2026-39 FIRST IN COUNCIL March 2, 2026 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR AL-ZUBI COUNCILLOR NOLAN WHEREAS: A core function of City government is the dissemination of information, including through online social media platforms; and WHEREAS: The City is obligated to provide its services in such manners and venues that do not unduly burden certain segments of the public, or expose them disproportionately to harm and abuse; and WHEREAS: The City has, from time to time, severed relationships with businesses engaging in practices deemed antithetical to Cambridge values, such as dignity and inclusivity; and WHEREAS: Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), is a white nationalist who has, including but not limited to, incited violent anti-immigrant riots in the UK, led a devastating assault on the United States federal government in the form of “DOGE”; and WHEREAS: Upon Musk’s purchase of Twitter in 2022, he swiftly moved to fire 80% of its Trust & Safety staff and eliminated guardrails against hate speech, harassment, and disinformation; and WHEREAS: Musk personally intervened to not just welcome back but monetize the accounts of extremists who had previously been banned from the platform, including far right influencer Dom Lucre, who had been banned for posting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM); and WHEREAS: The Grok AI chatbot built into X generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images, including 23,000 of children, in just one 11 day period — a fact that can only be attributed to willful and malicious negligence, given that all other major AI firms have instituted guardrails against such use; and WHEREAS: The cumulative impact of Musk’s interventions has been to make the platform that profits off its hostility towards women, queer people, people of color, Jews, Muslims, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations; and WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge currently maintains X accounts for at least 15 departments, boards, and commissions including the City of Cambridge account, Police Department, Fire Department, Cambridge Public Schools, Public Works, and numerous other departments and commissions. This municipal presence has functioned to legitimize and drive traffic to X despite its transformation under current ownership; and

WHEREAS: The City maintains robust emergency communication infrastructure independent of X, including the City website (cambridgema.gov), CodeRED emergency notification system, email alerts and newsletters, SMS messaging systems, partnerships with local media outlets, and presence on multiple social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Threads); and X accounts can be effectively replaced by other means of communication, and WHEREAS: Recent developments, including international government responses to Grok AI's synthetic abuse material capabilities and the Brazil Supreme Court's 2024 decision to block X nationwide due to platform non-compliance with content moderation orders, demonstrate growing institutional recognition that X's transformation requires reassessment of government presence on the platform; therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to instruct all City departments, boards, commissions, and offices to discontinue all official posting and engagement on X within 60 days; and to include an explanation of why the City will no longer use X, and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to ensure that existing City accounts post a final notice to the public on any platforms whose use is discontinued by the City directing all further communication to alternative platforms, including the official City website (cambridgema.gov), email notification systems, alternative social media accounts, and SMS alerts; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to review the City’s social media platform usage policies, and the criteria and metrics by which the City of Cambridge decides to use various social media platforms, and provide an update to the City Council on the rationale for which it has decided to disseminate City information on certain platforms; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to discontinue the City’s use of any further social media platforms, in addition to X, if that platform does not meet the criteria developed pursuant to the preceding paragraph, following report back to and consultation with the City Council; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council in a timely manner. In City Council March 2, 2026. Adopted as Amended by Affirmative Vote of Nine Members:- Attest:- Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk A true copy; ATTEST:- Paula M. Crane Interim City Clerk