The UK Parliament is preparing to summon Elon Musk to testify about his platform X (formerly Twitter) and its role in spreading disinformation tied to this year’s UK riots and the rise of harmful AI-generated content. Lawmakers on the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee aim to question Musk as part of a larger inquiry into social media platforms and their impact on public safety.
Executives from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok are also expected to be called to testify. The inquiry, set to begin early next year, will address growing concerns that the UK’s online safety laws are lagging behind advancements in technology and the increasingly politicized use of platforms like X.
At the heart of the investigation is generative AI, which has been linked to the spread of inflammatory images that fueled Islamophobic protests following the tragic killings of three schoolgirls in Southport in July. Misinformation about the incident, including false accusations against a Muslim asylum seeker, spread rapidly on social media, leading to widespread unrest and violent rhetoric.
Chi Onwurah, chair of the committee, emphasized the importance of holding Musk accountable. “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,” she said.
Musk has previously clashed with the UK government. After being excluded from an international investment summit in September, he criticized the country for prioritizing social media prosecutions over other criminal issues. His comments, including declaring that “civil war is inevitable” during the Southport riots, have drawn significant backlash.
The inquiry also plans to explore how social media algorithms and AI technologies amplify harmful content, a concern highlighted by Ofcom, the UK communications regulator. Ofcom has reported that platforms were used to incite violence, spread hatred, and target religious and racial groups following the Southport tragedy. The regulator’s upcoming rules under the Online Safety Act will require platforms to remove illegal material, prevent harm, and redesign their systems to mitigate safety risks.
Social media’s evolving landscape has also seen users leaving X for alternative platforms like Bluesky. Many are protesting against X’s alleged leniency toward misinformation, controversial figures like Andrew Tate, and new terms of service that allow the platform to train AI using user data.
Musk has yet to confirm whether he will testify.
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