Minister of Health Simeon Brown has stepped in over the Ministry of Health’s decision to reduce its use of social media site X, formerly Twitter, for the lesser-known BlueSky. 

The Ministry put out a post on X yesterday, signalling its intention to move away from the site, which was purchased by controversial businessman Elon Musk in 2022. 

“The Ministry of Health is reducing posting on X. You can follow the Ministry on Facebook or LinkedIn, or our new Bluesky account, for updates,” the public sector agency wrote. 

Since the announcement, the Health Minister has intervened, questioning why the agency he is responsible for would step away from the site, as it has 48,000 followers. 

The agency’s BlueSky account, launched this week, has 972 followers and one post, which reads “The Ministry of Health is now posting on Bluesky. Follow us to be alerted to our consultations, news and announcements,” linking followers to community guidelines. 

In a statement, Simeon Brown said he expects the Ministry of Health to use a range of platforms to communicate with New Zealanders about health policy issues. 

Brown added it makes “no sense” not to use social media site X to reach its 48,000 followers, as he confirms he has “asked the Director-General of Health to review this decision.” 

BlueSky, which is described as looking “identical” to X and what once was Twitter, has housed many who have left the Musk-owned site. The site’s use has skyrocketed as many have abandoned their X accounts. 

In an earlier statement to Newstalk ZB, before the Minister confirmed he was stepping in, a Ministry of Health spokesperson said the agency used social media channels to inform the public to health sector news, consultations, and updates. 

The agency said, in a statement, its social media monitoring has indicated engagement on Ministry of Health X posts has “significantly decreased,” making it a “less effective communications channel for the Ministry.” 

The health ministry added it has been “monitoring” BlueSky since late last year, “and at this stage indications are that this would be a useful platform for alerting the public to consultations or other Ministry developments of interest to the public, including academic and scientific communities.” 

The agency added it would continue to monitor all social media channels, and will maintain its X account for use “where appropriate”. 

Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.