Musk hits back after PM criticises UK 'civil war' post

Elon Musk, the well-known tech entrepreneur and owner of X, formerly Twitter, has found himself in a contentious exchange with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. This dispute arose after Musk suggested that a 'civil war is inevitable' in the UK, following a disturbing video that depicted individuals launching fireworks at police officers. Musk made these remarks on his social media platform, which has been a source of controversy in the past. In response, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister stated that there was 'no justification' for Musk's comments and emphasized that social media companies have a responsibility to take action against harmful content. Musk did not hold back in his response to the Prime Minister's post, where Starmer expressed his commitment to protecting mosques and Muslim communities. Musk questioned, 'Shouldn't you be concerned about attacks on *all* communities? ' He also shared a video that appeared to show a person being arrested for making offensive remarks online, raising the question of whether the UK was becoming like the Soviet Union. Additionally, Musk suggested that the police's response to the unrest seemed biased. Justice Minister Heidi Alexander joined the fray, condemning Musk's comments as 'totally unjustifiable' and 'pretty deplorable'. The unrest in the UK has persisted for nearly a week, triggered by the tragic stabbing of three girls in Southport. This violence has spread to various towns and cities across England and parts of Northern Ireland, fueled by misinformation circulating online and a rise in anti-immigration sentiment. Over the weekend, protests erupted, leading to clashes between demonstrators and police in multiple locations. One protestor was seen confronting a police officer, pointing his finger in a heated exchange. When questioned about claims of unequal policing in the UK, Ms. Alexander dismissed these allegations as 'baseless' and stated that they undermine the efforts of police officers who are dedicated to upholding the law. She stressed that social media companies have a 'moral responsibility' to promote calm and combat the spread of misinformation. The Prime Minister's spokesperson reiterated that social media firms must ensure that criminal activities, including those originating from outside the UK, are not disseminated online. However, they refrained from naming specific countries believed to be behind the misleading posts. In the meantime, the Chartered Institute for IT, known as BCS, has urged the media regulator Ofcom to consider imposing fines on X following the recent unrest. Adam Leon Smith, a BCS fellow, stated, 'When misinformation leads to riots and unrest, there must be consequences. ' He argued that X has shown a disregard for public safety by allowing such content to flourish. Smith called on Ofcom to enforce the Online Safety Act promptly and impose significant penalties if mismanagement is found on the platform. On Monday, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle met with representatives from TikTok, Meta (the parent company of Facebook), Google, and X to emphasize their responsibility in curbing the spread of hateful misinformation and incitement. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also expressed that the government would not tolerate 'armchair thuggery' and insisted that social media companies must take responsibility for posts that encourage criminal behavior. The unrest has led to fires being set in police offices, vehicles, and hotels. The BBC has reached out to X, Meta, TikTok, Snap, Telegram, and Signal for comments regarding the situation. A source at Snap, which operates Snapchat, indicated that the company has not been contacted by the UK government in relation to the disorder. Snapchat boasts 21 million monthly users in the UK. Offenses related to incitement under UK law predate social media and are outlined in the Public Order Act of 1986. These offenses include provoking violence and harassment, as well as participating in riots. The Online Safety Act, which became law in 2023 but has not yet been fully implemented, will require social media companies to take robust action against illegal content and activities, including racially or religiously aggravated offenses and inciting violence. The criminal offenses introduced by this act will encompass sending threatening communications online and sharing false information intended to cause harm. On Monday, Sir Keir emphasized that 'criminal law applies online as well as offline'. Musk's comments have drawn criticism from various quarters, including satirist Armando Iannucci, who remarked that Musk had been 'taken in by your own platform, which amplifies noise at the expense of facts'. Sunder Katwala, director of the think tank British Future, stated that Musk's post was perpetuating a narrative that could lead to violence. He called for strong responses from the government, Ofcom, and parliament regarding Musk's remarks. An Ofcom spokesperson informed BBC News that they are 'moving quickly' to implement the Online Safety Act so it can be enforced as soon as possible. They anticipate that the illegal harms duties will come into effect by the end of the year, with additional responsibilities for the largest services set for 2026.