VANCOUVER, B.C. — Vancouver City Council has approved a motion brought forward by Green Councillor Pete Fry directing staff to reduce the City’s reliance on X.com as the sole source for real-time Council agenda and speaker updates, and to prioritize the City’s own website as the authoritative, accessible source for civic information.

The motion, Breaking up with the X: Equitable Access for Real-time Council Agenda and Speaker Updates, responds to growing concerns about accessibility, privacy, reliability, and neutrality in how residents access essential Council information.

“People shouldn’t need a social media account or be forced to hand over personal data just to know when they’re scheduled to speak at City Hall,” said Councillor Fry. “Access to civic information should be neutral, inclusive, and hosted by the City itself.”

Accessibility and Trust at the Core

Vancouver currently relies on X.com for real-time updates during Council meetings, including speaker lists. Residents without an account are unable to view current updates, leaving many speakers without reliable access to scheduling information.

During the City’s 2026 budget process, hundreds of registered speakers reported frustration with X.com being the only way to track real-time updates, resulting in missed speaking times or hours of uncertainty.

“This isn’t a fringe issue,” Fry said. “When hundreds of people are trying to participate in democracy, the City has a responsibility to make that participation straightforward and fair.”

Privacy, Neutrality, and Reputational Concerns

The motion also reflects concerns about X.com’s data practices and governance. Creating an account requires users to provide personal information and grant the platform broad rights to use posted content, including for training artificial intelligence systems.

Recent controversies involving X’s AI chatbot, Grok, including documented extremist and antisemitic outputs, have raised ethical and reputational questions for public institutions relying on the platform.

“Public institutions need to be careful about outsourcing essential civic functions to private platforms with opaque rules and shifting standards,” Fry added. “Our democracy shouldn’t depend on the policies of a third-party tech company.”

A City-Hosted, Platform-Neutral Approach

As approved, the motion directs staff to:

• Explore micro-blogging alternatives in addition to X.com for real-time Council updates;
• Report back on designating the City’s official website and Council meeting portal as the primary source for agendas, speaker lists, and live updates; and
• Develop a public education campaign explaining the transition, with a focus on inclusivity, transparency, and reliability.

The motion acknowledges that open-source and government-grade tools already exist that can be embedded directly into the City’s website, ensuring residents can access information without barriers.

“Our website should be the front door to civic participation,” said Fry. “This is a practical step toward making City Hall more accessible and trustworthy.”

Council Signals a Shift Toward Inclusive Civic Access

Council’s decision signals a shared recognition that access to democratic processes must not be constrained by platform choice.

“This isn’t about banning a platform,” Fry said. “It’s about making sure no one is excluded from participating in local democracy because of where, or whether, they’re online.”

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