UK Football Policing Unit chief says X is ‘hiding behind’ legal processes and delays

• ‘Massive drop-off’ in successful prosecutions

• Police are ‘not getting the information in time’

One of the UK’s leading police officers in prosecuting online harms has said the ability to secure identifying information from the social media company X has become “significantly worse” over the past 12 months.

Mike Ankers, the deputy director of the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU), said there had been a “massive drop-off” in successful prosecutions in 2025, and that the Elon Musk-owned platform was “hiding behind” legal processes that delayed the identification of users posting hateful content online.