Canada’s public broadcaster CBC and its French‑language counterpart Radio‑Canada announced on Monday that they are effectively quitting Twitter. The decision follows the platform’s addition of a “government‑funded media” label to their accounts, a designation the broadcaster says misrepresents its editorial independence. In a statement, CBC/Radio‑Canada noted that Twitter applies the same label to major media outlets in authoritarian countries such as Russia and China, and argued that “in the case of CBC/Radio‑Canada this labeling is untrue and deceptive.” While the organization receives public funding, its editorial independence is protected under Canadian broadcasting law.
The broadcaster emphasized that Twitter can be a powerful tool for journalists to communicate with Canadians, but the label undermines the accuracy and professionalism of their work by falsely describing their independence. Consequently, CBC/Radio‑Canada will pause activity on its corporate Twitter account as well as all CBC and Radio‑Canada news‑related accounts. Instead, the organization urged Canadians to follow its content on other social media platforms.
CBC/Radio‑Canada’s exit from Twitter follows similar moves by National Public Radio in the United States and the BBC in Britain, which have also objected to the label. Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, the platform has relaxed content moderation, reinstating many users previously banned for hate speech or misinformation, and has reduced its workforce from 7,500 to fewer than 2,000 employees.
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