BBC protests after Twitter labels it ‘government-funded media’

The BBC has objected to being labelled as “government funded media” on one of its Twitter accounts.

The corporation said it is speaking to the social media company, owned by Elon Musk, about the designation on the @BBC account to “resolve this issue as soon as possible”.

The Twitter account, which has 2.2 million followers, primarily shares updates about BBC-produced television programmes, radio shows and podcasts, and retweets breaking news stories.

The label links through to a page on Twitter’s help website which says “state-affiliated media accounts” are defined as “outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution”.

However, more popular accounts affiliated to the broadcaster’s news and sport output, including BBC News (World) and BBC Breaking News, are not being described in the same way.

In a statement, the BBC said: “We are speaking to Twitter to resolve this issue as soon as possible. The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.”

The £159 annual licence fee is set by the UK government but paid for by individual households in order to legally watch live television broadcasts or live streaming in the UK.

Since 1927, the BBC has operated constitutionally through a Royal Charter agreed with the government which states the corporation “must be independent”, particularly over “editorial and creative decisions, the times and manner in which its output and services are supplied, and in the management of its affairs”.

It is not the first time this week Twitter has put itself at odds with a broadcaster over its designation after a row with America’s National Public Radio (NPR).

Initially the social media company described the US public broadcaster as “state-affiliated media”, a label given to outlets including Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua News.

The description was later changed to the same “government funded media” tag now applied to the @BBC account.

NPR, which receives some money from public institutions but whose funding mainly comes from sources such as corporate sponsorships and membership fees, had said it would stop tweeting from the account unless it was amended.

Twitter was contacted for comment.