The U.K. parliament will summon Elon Musk to testify about how his social media platform X contributed to spreading disinformation during the U.K. riots in August and the rise of false and harmful AI content.
U.K. Parliament to Testify Elon Musk Over X’s Role in U.K. Summer Riots
According to the Guardian, MPs will summon Elon Musk, the X platform’s owner, to testify about his company’s role in spreading disinformation during a parliamentary inquiry into the U.K. riots and the rise of false and harmful AI content.
The Commons science and technology select committee is expected to question senior executives from Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
The first evidence sessions are set to take place in the new year.
MPs will investigate the impact of generative AI, which people used in widely shared images on Facebook and X to incite others to join Islamophobic protests following the killing of three schoolgirls in Southport in August.
Misinformation flooded social media after the Southport killings on July 29. Accounts with over 100,000 followers falsely identified the alleged attacker as a Muslim asylum seeker.
Anti-Muslim trolls started spreading racist and Islamophobic misinformation.
The inquiry will also investigate Silicon Valley business models that “encourage the spread of content that can mislead and harm.”
Chi Onwurah, the Labour chair of the select committee, commented, “[Musk] has very strong views on multiple aspects of this. I would certainly like the opportunity to cross-examine him to see … how he reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation.”
Onwurah stated that the inquiry aims to uncover the connections between social media algorithms, generative AI, and the spread of harmful or false content.
The inquiry will also investigate how AI is used to enhance search engines like Google, which recently faced criticism for AI-generated overviews promoting false and racist claims about low average IQs in African countries.
Google confirmed that these overviews violated its policies and removed them.
Ofcom: Platforms Exploited to Spread Hatred and Incite Violence
Ofcom, the U.K. communications regulator, reported that certain platforms exploited hatred, incited violence against racial and religious groups, and encouraged attacks on mosques and asylum accommodations.
According to the Guardian, Ofcom will release rules under the Online Safety Act to prevent illegal harm. These rules will require social media companies to block illegal material, mitigate safety risks, and control activity that incites violence, spreads hatred, or disseminates harmful false communications.
Companies must remove illegal content once identified and incorporate measures in their product designs to tackle safety risks effectively.
Elon Musk and the U.K. Government “Feud”
Elon Musk criticized the U.K. government after it did not invite him to an international investment summit in September 2024.
Musk wrote on X, “I don’t think anyone should go to the U.K. when they’re releasing convicted pedophiles in order to imprison people for social media posts.”
Musk escalated his clash with the British government on November 18, accusing it of adopting a “full Stalin” approach by increasing inheritance tax on farms valued at over £1 million.
Musk’s comments came as London works to mend ties with Trump’s team ahead of his inauguration. Musk's criticism targeted Labour's controversial tax plan to exempt inheritance tax exemptions for certain farms.
Former Labour minister Peter Mandelson urged an end to the ongoing “feud” between Musk and the U.K. government. “He is a sort of technological, industrial, commercial phenomenon.” Mandelson said, “And it would be unwise, in my view, for Britain to ignore him. You cannot pursue these feuds.”
Trump Appoints Elon Musk to Lead “Department of Government Efficiency”
Donald Trump announced on November 12 that Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the newly established “Department of Government Efficiency.”
The department will not operate as a government agency.
In his statement, Trump explained that Musk and Ramaswamy would provide external “advice and guidance” to the White House, collaborating with the Office of Management and Budget to implement structural reforms.
He promised this initiative would introduce an entrepreneurial approach to government, disrupt existing systems, and lead to significant changes. Trump credited the pair with driving efforts to dismantle bureaucracy, reduce regulations, eliminate waste, and restructure federal agencies.
Public Citizen, a progressive consumer advocacy group, criticized Musk’s appointment. Co-president Lisa Gilbert argued that Musk lacks expertise in government efficiency and regulation.
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