The social media platform formerly known as Twitter is facing pushback from advocates who say the service should be regulated to limit its use as a tool for spreading misinformation and deepfakes
Sudbury Liberal MP Viviane Lapointe has quit X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Lapointe’s decision to exit the social media platform comes amid a broader pushback against online misinformation, which has included sexual deepfakes (video/images where a person’s face, body and/or voice has been digitally altered so they appear to do or say things they did not actually do or say).
Enabled by artificial intelligence tools, Lapointe wrote that acts of sexual exploitation have targeted women and children.
“X/Twitter’s response does little to prevent or address the harm caused by their designed AI tools,” she wrote. “Entities that profit from these platforms have a responsibility and a duty to prevent harm, not promote.”
This, she said, is why she has exited the platform.
“Our office remains fully accessible, and we will continue to monitor for urgent issues,” she wrote. “You can also find social media updates on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky.”
Lapointe also pledged “to support efforts for stronger protections from harm and advocate for clear accountability from platform providers.”
Last month, the Liberals tabled Bill C-16, which aims “to protect victims and keep kids safe from predators.”
Among its provisions would be a prohibition on the distribution of non-consensual sexual deepfakes.
The legislation also proposes increased penalties for various sexual crimes, including the non-consentual distribution of intimate images, including deepfakes.
Despite the proliferation of deepfakes on X, federal Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Soloman said the government would not ban the platform, according to reporting by The Globe and Mail.
The Liberal Party of Canada has continued to use the platform.