Since officials from the GCS unit last reviewed the use of the former Twitter, other public bodies have quit the platform, while ministers have faced a growing number of questions

Whitehall’s specialist communications unit has not yet made a formal assessment of government’s possible use of the Bluesky online platform for comms and information campaigns, and has not assessed the use of rival site X for more than two years.

The Government Communication Service (GCS) administers the SAFE guidance which, “is the single, comprehensive framework that the government uses for these assessments, providing thorough guidance and processes to ensure appropriate use of digital advertising environments”, according to Baroness Ruth Anderson.

The ‘SAFE’ acronym represents the four principles the guidelines are intended to ensure civil service communications – and their means of delivery – adhere to: safety and suitability; adverts in appropriate context; freedom of speech; and ethics and enforcement.

The framework is used by GCS when it “undertakes assessments of platforms such as X and Bluesky”, said Anderson, a Labour peer who is the Cabinet Office’s spokesperson in the House of Lords. Such reviews take place “when there are significant platform updates” to an online channel.

“The last assessment on X was made in April 2023,” added the baroness, who was answering a written parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat peer Lord Mark Pack. “The platform X is currently used for non-paid communications activity only (also known as ‘organic’ activity). There are currently no government or ministerial accounts on Bluesky and no SAFE framework assessment has been completed.”

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In the 27 months since government comms experts last assessed X, there has been a steadily growing collection of organisations that have decided to close their accounts or otherwise cease posting on the platform formerly known as Twitter – often citing concerns about abuse and misinformation. Alongside businesses and charities, some UK public-sector bodies – including Devon County Council, North Wales Police, and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital – have joined the exodus.

In the latter case, the hospital explained its decision with a statement, issued in August 2024, which said that the platform “is currently not a safe, healthy or inclusive environment to engage and interact with our communities, and does not reflect our values, nor those of the NHS”.

In this climate, the enquiries from Lord Pack are the latest in a series of questions asked by parliamentarians about the continued use of X by a wide range of government entities and representatives, as well as the complete absence of any official presence on Bluesky.

Run from the Cabinet Office, GDS comprises the 7,000 members of the comms profession across the civil service. A key part of its role in recent years has been directing the use of online communications platforms as a means for government to disseminate information, interact with citizens, and conduct public-awareness campaigns.