Elon Musk’s ‘civil war’ X comments are blasted by the UK
[ad_1]
The British government has called on Elon Musk to act responsibly after the tech billionaire used his social media platform X to release a series of documents that officials say are at risk of fueling the violence that has gripped the country.
Justice Minister Heidi Alexander made the comments on Tuesday morning after Musk posted comments saying “civil war is inevitable” in the UK Musk later doubled down, citing complaints that Britain’s criminal justice system treats Muslims more leniently than far-right activists and comparing it to Britain. harassment of telecommunications users in the Soviet Union.
“The use of language like ‘civil war’ is totally unacceptable,” Alexander told Times Radio. “We see police officers getting seriously injured, buildings being burned, so I think everyone who has a platform should use their power responsibly.”
Britain has been rocked by violence for more than a week, as police clashed with crowds chanting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans in towns and cities from Northern Ireland to the south coast of England. The unrest began after right-wing activists used social media to spread falsehoods about a knife attack that killed three girls during a dance event headlined by Taylor Swift on July 29.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described the riots as “far-right crimes,” after an emergency meeting with law enforcement officials and government ministers on Tuesday said the perpetrators would be swiftly punished.
More than 400 people have been arrested in connection with the violence in more than 22 towns and cities and around 100 have been charged, after Starmer announced plans to strengthen the criminal justice system.
An 18-year-old youth who hurled police cars in Bolton, northern England, on Sunday, is believed to be the first person to be sentenced in the riots. James Nelson received a two-month prison sentence on Tuesday after pleading guilty to wounding at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, police said.
“That should send a strong message to anyone involved, directly or online, that it can be dealt with within a week and that no one, but no one, should be involved in this mess,” Starmer said.
Starmer deflected questions from reporters about Musk, saying he was focused on keeping communities safe.
The government is calling on social media companies, such as Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, to do more to combat the spread of misinformation and incitement.
Alexander said on Tuesday the government would look to strengthen the Cyber Security Act, which was approved last year and will not be fully implemented until 2025.
“We have been working with the social media companies, and some of the steps they have taken to remove false information will be welcomed,” Alexander told the BBC. “But there’s no doubt there’s more social media companies can and should be doing.”
That kind of rhetoric may be part of what sparked Musk’s attack on the government. Musk has taken a more confrontational approach to his critics than is typical of Silicon Valley tech companies, said Alex Krasodomski, who studies the intersection of technology and politics at Chatham House, a London-based think tank.
“He has left UK and EU policymakers in the past questioning his methods of rating content on the platform,” Krasodomski said.
UX did not respond to an email seeking comment. He rarely responds to media requests.
Musk has been wading into the debate about violence in Britain.
After Starmer commented on X that the government “will not tolerate attacks on mosques or Muslim communities,” Musk responded with the question, “Shouldn’t you be concerned about attacks on (asterisk) all (star) communities?”
Musk attached similar comments to a video he claimed showed a “Muslim patrol” attacking a pub in Birmingham, highlighting the posts of his 193 million followers.
Such comments are classic Musk, who has a history of making inflammatory statements, said Stephanie Alice Baker, a sociologist at City University of London who has studied online discourse. Musk often comments on geopolitical issues and his supporters defend him when he is criticized, Baker said.
Earlier this year, he clashed with Brazil’s highest court over freedom of speech, truthful accounts and misinformation about X. He also accused Venezuela’s socialist president, Nicolás Maduro, of “massive electoral fraud” after last week’s election.
Those words are closely watched by a group of people who are attracted by his success in business, said Baker.
“Musk’s following represents the religion of entrepreneurs…” he said. “Through the question-and-answer session, they are revealed as skilled visionaries, who can predict the future and make it happen. To his fans and followers, Musk’s candid comments are seen as part of his genius. “
—-
Associated Press writer Brian Melley contributed.
—Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
[ad_2]
Source link
