A Scottish gay rights charity has quit Twitter saying it had been the victim of “targeted attacks” on the social media site.
LGBT Youth Scotland said it decided to stop using the social media platform this month after noticing an increase in “extreme views” expressed there.
The charity had about 33,000 followers on Twitter when it closed its account.
Twitter bosses have faced growing criticism about the way the platform is managed, including claims that people are being targeted for abuse on the site and that misinformation is spreading more easily.
LGBT Youth Scotland said the risks associated with using the site had grown since it was purchased by billionaire Elon Musk last year.
Mhairi Crawford, the charity’s chief executive, said: “After careful consideration of our mission to support LGBTQ+ young people, we felt our only option was to leave Twitter.
“Since Twitter’s takeover in 2022 we have become increasingly concerned by a number of statements and decisions that have had a real impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
“Our following on Twitter was the largest across all of our platforms but we have noticed a troubling increase in extreme views and targeted attacks towards members of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as our own charity directly.
“We want to create safe spaces for young people to feel hopeful about the world around them and their own futures and, ultimately, Twitter does not make this possible.
“We hope our move will give other organisations confidence to leave platforms where negativity is so prevalent.”
In an earlier statement, LGBT Youth Scotland had criticised the way Twitter “allows unchecked misinformation which impacts human rights and safety”.