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RSPB withdraws from X over safeguarding concerns

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has closed its official account on X, citing safeguarding concerns following reports that the platform’s AI tools have been used to create non-consensual and inappropriate images of people.

In a statement posted before the account was made private, the charity said it had decided to lock down its organisational presence and remove its historical content to reduce potential risks to staff, volunteers and supporters. Leaving the account public, it said, could pose a safeguarding risk.

The decision follows reports that Grok, an AI tool integrated into X, has been used to generate harmful and abusive imagery. While the RSPB did not describe any direct incident involving its own staff or supporters, it made clear that the wider environment on the platform had prompted a precautionary response.

The charity confirmed that the account will remain in place in case it is needed in future, but said there are no plans to post on X for the foreseeable future. Supporters were reassured that the organisation remains active on other social media platforms and continues its work on the ground at more than 200 nature reserves across the UK.

The move adds the RSPB to a growing list of organisations reassessing their relationship with X as concerns mount over content moderation, online abuse and the rapid deployment of generative AI tools. For conservation bodies, which rely heavily on volunteers and public engagement, safeguarding considerations have become an increasingly prominent factor in digital communications strategies.

While the RSPB has not framed its decision as a permanent departure, the statement underlines a broader unease within the charity and voluntary sector about the pace of change on major social platforms – and the risks that can accompany it when protections fail to keep up.

January 2026

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