Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual, has been excluded from the UK government’s International Investment Summit, a major event aimed at attracting foreign investment. This decision comes as a result of Musk’s controversial social media activity during recent riots in the UK.
Musk’s posts on X (formerly Twitter) have drawn scrutiny and criticism from the UK government. During the August riots, Musk shared a conspiracy theory about the UK establishing “detainment camps” on the Falkland Islands for rioters, which he later removed. He also predicted a civil war in the UK and criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer. These statements, condemned as “totally unjustifiable” and “pretty deplorable” by government ministers, appear to have sealed Musk’s fate.
The exclusion is not an isolated incident. Musk’s social media platform, X, has faced legal challenges in Brazil for defying a ban on spreading misinformation. The Supreme Court there fined X nearly $1 million daily for attempting to bypass the ban.
Musk’s controversial posts have also taken a toll on X’s user base, particularly in the UK. Active daily users in the UK have decreased from 8 million to around 5.6 million in the past year, with a noticeable drop following Musk’s controversial posts during the summer riots.
The UK parliament plans to summon Musk to provide evidence about how X is run, particularly focusing on the platform’s algorithms and content moderation policies. Labour politician Dawn Butler aims to examine the use of algorithms in pushing hateful material and the moderation of such content on X.
Musk, a self-proclaimed advocate for free speech, has stated that X intends to obey the law in each jurisdiction it operates in. However, his actions and statements suggest a growing disconnect between his vision for free speech and the regulatory landscape of many countries. This incident underscores the complex relationship between technology, politics, and free speech in the digital age.
