The Courts of New Zealand had 6,200 followers on X. They walked away and set up on Bluesky, where they now have 113. That is a 98% drop in audience for official court information, and no one has explained why.
They are not alone. A growing number of government agencies have quietly abandoned X, one of New Zealand’s most widely used platforms with approximately 716,000 users, without publishing a rationale, conducting a cost-benefit analysis, or obtaining ministerial sign-off.
The Free Speech Union has today written to the Minister for Courts, Hon. Nicole McKee, asking who authorised the Courts’ withdrawal and on what basis.
“Public servants don’t get to pick their audience based on politics,” said Jillaine Heather, CEO of the Free Speech Union. “You don’t opt out of platforms because you don’t like the owner. That’s not neutral, and it’s not what the public service is for.”
The pattern is hard to ignore. The Labour Party left X in May 2025. The Green Party left in November 2024. National and NZ First remain. Left-leaning institutions have followed the exodus. The courts, which depend on public perception of impartiality, should not be seen to be following a political trend.
Emergency services continue to use X because it works. The question is why other agencies think it is acceptable to do less.
When the Courts leave X, they do not disappear from public conversation on that platform. The vacuum fills with unofficial commentary, misinformation about proceedings, and mischaracterisation of judgments. Withdrawal does not protect the public. It abandons them without accurate information.
"Why are taxpayers funding comms teams to rebuild audiences from zero on niche platforms when they already had direct access to hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders?" said Heather, “The Free Speech Union is determined to find out why”.
Answers needed
Official Information Act requests are being lodged with key agencies asking:
- When was the decision made to reduce or stop using X?
- Who authorised it?
- What analysis justified the move?
- Was political risk a factor?
- What was audience reach before versus after?
What we’re calling for
The Free Speech Union is calling on the Government to:
- Maintain presence on major platforms where New Zealanders already are.
- Publish platform strategies so the public can see how decisions are made.
- Report audience reach so taxpayers can judge whether they are getting value for money.
“The public service isn’t there to feel comfortable. It’s there to be effective,” said Heather. “Over 700,000 New Zealanders use X. The government’s job is to be where the public is, not where Wellington would prefer them to be.”
ENDS
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Human beings cannot flourish unless they are free! We protect, expand, and fight for New Zealanders’ rights to freedom of speech, conscience, and intellectual inquiry. We envision a flourishing New Zealand civil society that values and protects vigorous debate, dissenting ideas, and freedom of speech as cultural cornerstones.