Nandini Roy Choudhury, writer
Brief news
- Elon Musk made controversial comments about the disturbances in the UK caused by far-right and anti-immigration sentiment.
- The UK government condemned Musk’s statement and emphasized that the violence and disorder in the country are unacceptable.
- UK ministers are calling for social media companies to take more responsibility in preventing the dissemination of inflammatory and misleading content.
Detailed news
LONDON — After Elon Musk made controversial comments regarding disturbances that were being perpetrated throughout the United Kingdom due to the far-right and anti-immigration sentiment, the U.K. government responded by punishing the billionaire.
Violent disorder has been observed in the streets of numerous cities and towns, such as Liverpool and Manchester, over the past week. Far-right groups have engaged in confrontations with police and rival demonstrators.
Musk responded to a post regarding the violence on X, the social media platform he controls, on Sunday by asserting that “Civil war is preordained.”
The U.K. Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, subsequently condemned his statement.
The PM’s spokesperson stated on Monday, in response to a reporter’s inquiry regarding whether Starmer concurred with Musk’s remark, that “comments of that nature are unjustifiable.”
“The organized illegal thuggery that has been observed in this country is unacceptable on our streets and online,” stated Starmer’s official spokesperson.
The spokesperson further stated, “We are discussing a small group of individuals who do not represent Britain. As a result, we have observed some of the most exceptional members of our communities emerge to address the chaos and disruption.” “It is evident that the prime minister does not subscribe to those sentiments.”
In response to Musk’s remarks on Tuesday, Heidi Alexander, the U.K.’s courts minister, stated that individuals who possess a social media platform should “use it responsibly.” She also emphasized that the comparison of the violence to civil war is “completely unjustified.”
Peter Kyle, the technology minister of the United Kingdom, has engaged in discussions with social media corporations regarding the dissemination of misinformation in connection with the disturbances. The upheaval in Britain, which began as anti-immigration protests, has been supplanted by violent disorder that has been incited by misinformation online. This has resulted in the destruction of stores and mosques, as well as the hurling of bricks and petrol bombs.
Alexander stated to Sky News on Tuesday, “I believe that the social media companies should be taking more action.” “They have a moral obligation to refrain from disseminating and propagating inflammatory and misleading content on their platforms.”
The Online Safety Act, a groundbreaking law that aims to increase enforcement of unlawful and detrimental content on the internet, was enacted in the United Kingdom last year.
Nevertheless, Ofcom, the regulator responsible for enforcing the law, is unable to take action against social media firms for harmful postings that incite the ongoing rioting, as not all of the powers from the act have been implemented.
Ofcom has stated that it is making rapid progress in the implementation of the act to ensure its enforcement as soon as feasible.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, an electric vehicle company, continued to provide commentary on the U.K. unrest as of Tuesday. Musk reshared a video in a single post that appeared to depict a man being apprehended in connection with offensive comments that were posted on a Facebook page. The video was unable to be independently verified by CNBC.
Musk has reinstated Tommy Robinson, a far-right figure, and Andrew Tate, a controversial online personality, on X, following their suspension from the platform.
In March 2018, Robinson, who is actually Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was prohibited from using X, which was previously known as Twitter. In October 2017, Tate was prohibited from participating in X due to the publication of inflammatory messages.
Source : CNBC News
