Courts Ditch 6,200 Followers for 113 as Government Agencies Retreat from Public Platforms

26 March 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Courts Ditch 6,200 Followers for 113 as Government Agencies Retreat from Public Platforms

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

Notes to editor:

The Free Speech Union wrote to Hon. Nicole McKee, Minister for Courts, on 26 March 2026 regarding the Courts of New Zealand’s withdrawal from X. 

At the time of departure, the @CourtsofNZ X account had approximately 6,200 followers. The replacement Bluesky account has 113 followers.

X has approximately 716,000 users in New Zealand (source: World Population Review, 2025 data). Bluesky does not publish country-level user data but is not listed among its top markets.

The Public Service Act 2020 requires the public service to facilitate “active citizenship” and “foster a culture of open government.” New Zealand is a signatory to the Open Government Partnership.

OIA requests are being lodged with key government agencies that have reduced or ceased their presence on X.

FSU Media Contact: Jillaine Heather | [email protected] | 

www.fsu.nz