Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X looks on during the Milken Conference 2024 Global Conference Sessions at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 6, 2024. REUTERS/David Swanson/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Elon Musk has been accused of exacerbating tensions after a week of far-right rioting in Britain, sparking calls for the government to speed up the rollout of laws policing harmful online content.
Misinformation and calls to violence have spread on social media over the past week after far-right and anti-Muslim groups seized on the fatal stabbing of three young girls in the English town of Southport.
As rioters clashed with police in some towns and cities, Musk joined the debate on his X platform, posting that civil war was “inevitable” in Britain. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said there was “no justification” for such comments.
Separately, Starmer warned social media companies that violent disorder whipped up online was a crime “on your premises”, while adding there was a “balance to be struck” in handling the firms.
The official responses reflect the difficult situation the government is in.
But Ofcom is still drawing up guidelines outlining how it will implement the law, with enforcement not expected until early next year. In the wake of recent violence, some are calling for the rules to be rolled out sooner.
A team of researchers in Scotland is hoping to revolutionize data security by developing a “potentially unhackable” national quantum network.
Adam Leon Smith, a fellow at industry body BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, wants Ofcom to start enforcing the Online Safety Act as soon as possible, he told Reuters.
“There must be a tipping point where a foreign billionaire platform owner has to take some responsibility for running a toxic bot network that has become one of the main sources of fake news and misinformation in the UK,” he said.
“I would back moves for the timetable to be accelerated,” she said. “Requirements should be brought in as soon as possible, particularly for the biggest and highest-risk platforms.”
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “We’re moving quickly to implement the Online Safety Act so we can enforce it as soon as possible. To do this, we are required to consult on codes of practice and guidance, after which the new safety duties on platforms will become enforceable.”
Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
ENFORCEMENT
While those inciting violence online can be prosecuted individually, the government has no way to force social media companies to police their platforms until the Online Safety Bill comes into effect.
Despite this, a number of posts on X actively encouraging violence and racism – seen by Reuters – remain live and have been viewed tens of thousands of times.
At the time of writing, Musk’s X posts on the issue have been read by tens of millions of users, according to the site’s own metrics.
One post containing misleading information about a Kurdish teenager convicted of rape in Britain has been seen 53 million times. Another, in which he suggested Muslim communities were receiving undue police protection, had been viewed 54 million times.
While such comments themselves might not break the rules around illegal content, allowing direct calls for violence may.
“We would encourage Ofcom to speed up its work on the guidelines, so that X and other social media platforms face financial penalties if they do not remove harmful content,” said Iman Atta, director of advocacy group Tell MAMA, which monitors anti-Muslim activity in Britain.
“There is a need to force platforms to take more drastic action against extremism and hate speech,” she said.
News
Discover Which Game to Play Based on Your Favorite Classic Horror Movie—Uncover the Perfect Match!
Classic horror movies have been around for quite some time now. Quite a few of them still have quite an active or even a growing following. Some…
Rest Assured: The Last of Us Season 2 Won’t Make the Game’s Most Controversial Mistake—Find Out Why!
Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us Part II.The television version of The Last of Us has already set itself apart from the video games it’s…
Rings of Power Showrunners Stay Tight-Lipped on 90-Year-Old Lord of the Rings Mystery—What Are They Hiding?
Is Old Tom something more than Middle-earth’s “eldest”? (Image credit: Prime Video) Tom Bombadil is many things in Lord of the Rings, but is he the God of Middle-earth? It’s…
Rings of Power Podcast: Dive Into Season 2, Episode 4—All About Tom Bombadil and His Surprising Role!
The new season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is diving ever deeper into the lore and legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien. And with each new…
3 Shocking Reasons Glenn’s Death in The Walking Dead TV Show Was Even More Heart-Wrenching Than in the Comics!
Glenn’s Walking Dead death is by far one of the franchise’s most controversial moments, and the TV show’s depiction proved to be worse than the comics for three main…
‘Daryl Dixon’ Season 3 Set to Take The Walking Dead Universe to New Heights
The Walking Dead may have ended, but like the zombies it takes its name from, the series has lived on in the form of spin-offs, such as The Walking…
End of content
No more pages to load