Why we are leaving X and Meta

In today’s digital landscape, companies must continuously evaluate where and how they engage with their audiences. At Impact Reporting, we believe in aligning our online presence with our values, goals and social mission. After much consideration, we have decided to step away from X (formerly Twitter) and Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Threads). Here’s why.

Disagreement with hate speech policy changes

A primary factor in our decision to leave Meta is our strong disagreement with its recent changes to hate speech guidelines.

In December 2024, Mark Zuckerberg said he seeks an “active role” in shaping tech policy in the current Trump administration. We’ve seen the first sign of how he intends to do that by revising Meta’s hate speech guidelines. 

As highlighted by our sister company, Reason Digital, these policy shifts weaken protections against harmful rhetoric and create a less safe space for marginalised communities. Many of whom represent our clients, employees and colleagues.

As an LGBTQIA+ owned organisation that aims to create a safe working environment for people from all backgrounds, we cannot, in good conscience, continue to support platforms that fail to uphold responsible content moderation.

In addition, Elon Musk has previously labelled the words “cis” and “cisgendered” as “hate speech” on X, despite also saying he’s a free speech absolutist. These changes at X and Meta sends a troubling message about what kind of discourse they are willing to tolerate.

We will not stand by as protections against hate speech are weakened, making social media a more hostile place for our colleagues and clients.

Ed Cox, Co-founder of Impact Reporting

What’s next?

In the end, X and Meta are not the right places for us and we want to stand true to the beliefs that have guided our business from day one. But we are not leaving social media—we’re simply shifting our focus. We will be investing more in platforms and channels that foster genuine interactions, such as LinkedIn, YouTube, plus our own blog and email newsletters.

We encourage you to stay connected with us and also consider the effect these social media platforms might be having on vulnerable groups within your own employees or customers.

Read Reason Digital’s statement:
https://reasondigital.com/blog/statement-about-metas-policy-changes/

Read Meta’s Community Standards for “Hateful Conduct” here:
https://transparency.meta.com/en-gb/policies/community-standards/hateful-conduct/  

Read GLAAD’s response to Meta’s policy changes:
https://glaad.org/releases/meta-removes-anti-lgbtq-hate-speech-policies-ends-fact-checking/ 

For comment and further information, please contact us at hello@impactreporting.co.uk