X accused of Ignoring Racist Posts despite User Reports

X has been accused of failing to remove social media posts reported as “hate, abuse or harassment” in which prominent UK politicians have been racially abused.

In May 2026, researchers from thinktank British Future reported 30 posts in which Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch was called the N-word.

In each case the researchers used the platform’s “hate, abuse or harassment” reporting option. X refused to act in the majority of cases, despite repeated requests.

It is reported that X generally takes action only when content is reported as illegal under the UK’s Online Safety Act. In such cases, the platform typically restricts visibility within the UK while leaving posts accessible in other countries.

Avaes Mohammad, a researcher with British Future’s British South Asian Bridgers cohesion project, said: “Many people will intuitively report racist posts as ‘hate, abuse or harassment’, but it seems X doesn’t consider it as hate.

“Our research found that it was only when a post is described as illegal, which they can’t dispute, that they will consider taking it down.”

British Future said X eventually restricted visibility for only two of the 30 posts targeting Badenoch.

The action came after the organisation’s director, Sunder Katwala, emailed the platform and argued that users should not be expected to complete an “onerous” form to report every post as illegal content.

The controversy comes amid ongoing scrutiny of X owner Elon Musk, who has faced criticism over the platform’s handling of extremist and far-right content since acquiring the company in 2022.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Musk of attempting to “whip up division” through posts relating to the murder of student Henry Nowak in Southampton.

The Online Safety Act, which is being introduced in phases by communications regulator Ofcom, places legal obligations on platforms to remove illegal content. This can include offences aggravated by racial or religious hostility.

On May 15, the same day Ofcom announced that X had voluntarily committed to removing illegal content within a 48-hour window, British Future reported 33 posts containing the P-word directed at UK public figures.

Among those targeted was Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf, who was told in one post using the slur to “sod off” to Pakistan.

Other public figures subjected to racial abuse included Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, former SNP leader Humza Yousaf, Reform UK London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham, Advance UK founder Ben Habib and Your Party founder Zarah Sultana.

British Future said that 48 hours after the reports were submitted, none of the 33 posts had been removed.

When the organisation contacted X for an explanation, the platform advised researchers to use its dedicated “UK illegal content” reporting option.

According to British Future, X responded: “Reports made through other channels are handled under our general policies and do not count toward the specific expedited review targets under the Online Safety Act.”

It is understood that X later restricted 20 of the reported posts within the UK after Ofcom became involved. However, the platform reportedly took no action against the remaining messages.

One of the posts left online included an image of a noose sent to Sultana alongside the message “f**k off” and the P-word slur.

British Future submitted a further nine reports on May 26 involving racist abuse directed at British Asian public figures.

The organisation said X failed to act in six cases because they had been reported through the “hate, abuse or harassment” channel. The remaining three posts were acted upon only after they were reported as illegal content.

Researchers also noted that none of the users responsible for the offensive posts had their accounts suspended. This included one account holder who reportedly used the N-word 45 times within a single week.

British Future argues that the platform’s moderation practices allow racist users to continue operating without meaningful consequences.

Mohammad added: “The accounts we are reporting are often replete with mentions of Reform and Restore.

“In May, the N-word racist slur was used about Kemi Badenoch an average of once a day.”

“But on 2 June, after Badenoch responded to Nigel Farage’s speech about Henry Nowak, there were 16 examples in a day – pointing to how much far-right political sentiment is driving the hate on X.”

Responding to the findings, Ofcom said it condemned racism “in all its forms”.

The regulator said its role was to ensure platforms had “appropriate measures in place to comply with their duties” rather than making decisions on individual pieces of content.

An Ofcom spokesperson added: “We’ll be carrying out quarterly reviews of X’s performance.”