Labour MPs are increasingly quitting X due to concerns over its role in spreading misinformation and far-right content under the ownership of the increasingly erratic billionaire Elon Musk. Here’s the full story.
Advertisers Fleeing X
Since Elon Musk bought X, formerly known as Twitter, for the princely sum of $44 billion in October 2022, the platform has haemorrhaged both advertisers as the site descended into a hotbed of far-right, racist, antisemitic, homophobic content, with a considerable amount of both mis- and disinformation thrown in for good measure.
Value Plummets 71.5%
Since Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” took over Twitter, now X, the company’s value has decreased by an astounding 71.5%, according to figures recently revealed by Axios.
Reinstating Extremists
Musk has faced severe criticism throughout his time at the helm of X following his reinstatement of many users previously banned for hate speech. Including those who have seen their accounts restored are suitable agitators Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkins, a far-right political commentator who once compared asylum seekers fleeing to the UK to “cockroaches.”
Content Moderation Cutbacks
Additionally, racist, homophobic, antisemitic and Islamophobic content, pornography and spam have flooded X after Musk fired most of the content moderation teams who previously worked on the site, further driving away users, advertisers, and the much-needed money both brought to the platform.
Cautionary Tale
However, despite Musk rapidly becoming a cautionary tale against the dangers of online radicalisation, many politicians and journalists still used X to get their voices heard by the millions of users who have remained on the platform.
“That May All Change”
However, that may all be about to change. Following the far-right riots that gripped England and Northern Ireland over the last week, several Labour MPs are increasingly expressing concerns about using X due to the perceived deterioration of the platform under Elon Musk’s ownership.
Labour MPs Leaving X
The Guardian first reported that a significant number of Labour MPs are either quitting or reducing their activity on the platform, citing a rise in hate speech, disinformation, and far-right extremism.
Noah Law First to Leave
Newly elected Labour MP Noah Law is believed to be the first to have deactivated his X account, with several other Labour MPs reportedly debating whether they will follow.
“Musk Corrupted Public Sphere”
Josh Simmons, Labour MP for Makerfield, is one of the Members of Parliament who has recently jumped ship, stating, “What matters about Musk is not only what he said, but how he changed X’s algorithms. He’s turned X into a megaphone for foreign adversaries and far-right fringe groups seeking to corrupt our public sphere. Nobody should have that power.”
Legislators Flexing Muscles
He added, “A new generation of legislators are flexing their muscles, people who’ve grown up understanding the power of these platforms. By talking down Britain, Musk has placed X firmly in our sights.”
Tensions With UK Government
Musk, who has increasingly aligned himself with the far-right activists who have been allowed free reign over X since the eccentric billionaire purchased it, has exacerbated tensions between him and the UK government with a series of recent posts which have spread misinformation over the causes of the riots.
“Civil War Inevitable”
Similarly, Musk claimed that the far-right riots were a sign that civil war in the UK was “inevitable,” compared Britain to the Soviet Union, and accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of endorsing a “two-tier” policing system – a conspiracy theory promoted by far-right agitators which assert that the police give preferential treatment to ethnic minority and left-wing protesters over white far-right ones.
MPs Seek Alternatives
As discontent with X grows, Labour MPs increasingly turn to alternative social media platforms. Threads, owned by Meta, and the open-source platform Bluesky have emerged as the primary alternatives for those looking to distance themselves from X.
“Done With It”
Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Labour MP Jess Philips said of X, “Fundamentally for me now I think that I am sort of done with it, I don’t wish to fish in that particular pond any more.”
Vote With Your Feet
Though she stopped short of calling for a boycott of the site or encouraging users to leave, she added, “The only power we now have over what is becoming a bit despotic is that we opt out of it, you vote with your feet in this instance rather than pen and paper. Personally for me, I don’t think it is a space where there is any fun to be had any more. I don’t think that it is a place of light, I think it is only a place of misery now.”
Government Signals Regulation
As Labour MPs continue to debate whether or not to leave X, the UK government has signalled the possibility of more robust regulations on platforms like X, though what impact that will have on Musk’s incessant posting remains to be seen.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Frederic Legrand – COMEO.
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