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Citing ‘hate’ and child exploitation, AG Campbell logs off X

Attorney General Andrea Campbell described X, formerly known as Twitter, as a platform with "no accountability and no guardrails."

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell in September 2024. Pat Greenhouse / The Boston Globe, File

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced Saturday that she will no longer be posting on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. In announcing the decision, Campbell described the Elon Musk-led platform as a noxious force on society. 

“I have no interest in supporting a platform that promotes hate, disinformation, and exploitation of our kids,” Campbell said in a video posted to X.

Campbell described how X has deteriorated from a vital avenue of communication into a platform that has no “accountability” or “guardrails.” In describing the oftentimes hateful nature of posts on the site, Campbell included images of X users using profanities to insult her intelligence and advocate for the Trump administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants. 

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She also spoke specifically about the recent controversy surrounding Grok, the AI chatbot built into X. Grok allowed users to ask it to digitally “undress” people that appear in images on the site, reportedly including children. Reports of this type of activity spiked last month, leading to a global backlash. While X has taken action to install restrictions on this type of behavior, the company is facing an investigation from European regulators. 

“I can no longer be a part of that,” Campbell said. “As AG, I’m taking on companies and social media platforms that are not responsible, that are putting profits ahead of our children, and above them.”

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Campbell posted the announcement video to her personal X account, while a different notice was posted to the official X account of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Campbell posted links to other social media platforms that she will continue to use, including Bluesky and Threads, two X alternatives largely seen as having more liberal user bases. 

Campbell has increased her Bluesky posting in recent days, sharing images of her children and a video that kicked off her reelection campaign

Like many Democratic leaders in Massachusetts, Campbell has sought to portray herself as a tough fighter willing to take on the Trump administration. 

“You might know me from suing President Trump nearly 50 times, beating Uber and Lyft in court, or being the first woman of color elected to statewide office in MA,” she said in a Bluesky post on the same day she left X. 

Campbell, a former Boston City Council member, is running for her second term as attorney general. She has been at the center of a number of recent high-profile news stories, from lawsuits over the MBTA Communities Act to an investigation into the death of a State Police recruit and an ongoing standoff with the state auditor over efforts to audit the Legislature. Last week, Campbell co-led 18 attorneys general in filing a brief meant to protect Haitian immigrants from losing their Temporary Protected Status. 

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X remains incredibly popular, with hundreds of millions of active users, but there are growing signs that its user base is stagnating under Musk’s leadership. Many Democratic officials and liberal users have abandoned the platform since Musk took it over. This exodus reached a notable spike after the 2024 election. 

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s last post on X occurred in April 2025, and her account is currently described as “inactive.” She posts regularly on Bluesky and other platforms. Other notable Massachusetts Democrats, such as Gov. Maura Healey and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, still frequently use X. 

Campbell appears set on leaving the platform for good. 

“This is an opportunity to stand up and to do our part, to hold everyone accountable who is harming our kids,” she said. “And most importantly, to have responsible technology.”

Ross Cristantiello

Staff Writer

Ross Cristantiello, a general assignment news reporter for Boston.com since 2022, covers local politics, crime, the environment, and more.

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