As UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer hints at a crackdown on social media following recent far-right riots, Elon Musk finds himself at the centre of controversy—criticised by a former Twitter director and facing growing government scrutiny. Here’s the full story.
Social Media Regulation
Following the far-right riots which roared through the United Kingdom over the past week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has given his strongest hint yet that regulations on social media platforms, on which misinformation and disinformation spread like wildfire, would be tightened.
Debate Intensifies
Following over a week of violence, race riots and attempted pogroms, the debate over the Online Safety Act and its seeming inability to quell the online conspiracy theories, which many have blamed for the violence, has intensified.
Online Safety Act Criticism
The Online Safety Act, which became law in October 2023, gives Ofcom powers to impose significant fines on social media companies which fail to remove illegal content. However, as these laws will not fully come into force until 2025, serious concerns have been raised that the law is, as London Mayor Sadiq Khan stated, “not fit for purpose.”
Starmer Rebukes Musk
In a thinly veiled rebuke to X, formerly Twitter owner Elon Musk, who has been amplifying far-right conspiracy theories and personally attacking Starmer on his platform, which has become a haven for far-right voices, Starmer stressed that social media was not a “law-free zone.”
Social Media Not Exempt
Starmer stated, “I do agree that we’re going to have to look more broadly at social media after this disorder, but the focus at the moment has to be on dealing with the disorder and making sure that our communities are safe and secure. This is not a law-free zone. And I think that’s clear from the prosecutions and sentencing. Today we’re due sentencing for online behaviour.”
A Call for Responsibility
Without mentioning Musk personally, Starmer added that those in charge of social media and other tech companies should be “mindful of the first priority, which is to ensure that our communities are safe and secure”.
Musk Under Fire
Elon Musk has come under fire for spreading far-right misinformation and amplifying the messages of online fascists to his millions of followers. Musk has repeatedly attacked Starmer, accusing him of fostering a “two-tier” justice system and even going so far as to suggest that “civil war is inevitable” in the UK.
Widespread Criticism
Musk’s increasingly unhinged comments have drawn widespread criticism, with David Wilding, a former UK director of Twitter who resigned following Musk’s takeover, stating in an interview with the BBC Today podcast,
Wilding’s Dismay
These comments, coupled with Musk’s interactions with far-right figures on the platform, have drawn widespread criticism and raised questions about his influence on the discourse surrounding the riots.
Musk’s Influence Questioned
David Wilding, a former UK director of Twitter who resigned following Musk’s takeover, expressed his dismay at Musk’s conduct on the platform. In an interview with the BBC’s Today Podcast, Wilding argued that Musk’s, and by extension, X’s handling of the affair was “really not good,” adding, “We’re proud of the way certain people used it to get their voice across that might not previously have been heard. I think it’s very hard to kind of look at Elon Musk’s personal conduct on the platform and feel in any way proud of that.”
Amplifying Extremism
Wilding also criticised Musk for amplifying the reach of fascist figures like Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who, alongside other far-right agitators and politicians like Andrew Tate and Nigel Farage, has been instrumental in spreading the disinformation which fuelled much of the worst violence of the last week.
“Amplifying That Message”
Wilding stated, “I think Tommy Robinson tweeted something out and he [Musk] replied with two exclamation marks, which he often does. And knowing when you’ve got 190-odd million followers, when you choose to do that, and it is a choice, you’re amplifying that message on a personal level.”
X’s Future Uncertain
As the dust finally begins to settle following the recent far-right riots gripping the country, X’s future remains uncertain. Following Musk’s tenure at the helm of the platform, users, companies, and advertisers are leaving in droves, unwilling to be associated with Musk’s controversial decisions. This has led to an influx of far-right and other fringe content.
Hope for the Future?
Wilding seemed similarly unsure about the future of the troubled social media company but expressed some slight hope for the future, recently posting on X that “Twitter exists despite Elon Musk, not because of him.”
Nation on Edge
With the aftershocks from the riots continuing to be felt around the country, many have been left wondering how the situation in the country could have deteriorated so rapidly. Despite thousands of anti-fascist protesters taking to the streets over the weekend in a show of solidarity with the Muslims and asylum seekers attacked in the preceding week, tensions remain high.
The Real Cause
Despite the UK government hinting that more will be done to try to control the spread of fascist hate speech and misinformation online, the real cause of the violence, the tacit acceptance of racist, anti-immigrant and Islamophobic articles in much of the UK’s right-wing press which has turned asylum seekers and ethnic minorities into a boogyman to be frightened of, will no doubt continue.
Future Uncertain
With police forces remaining on high alert and the nation braced for more violence, it remains to be seen whether the recent violence will change the tone of the national debate over immigration or whether the very forces which led the nation to the precipice will be allowed to continue unabated.
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