The Keir Starmer-led British government on Tuesday issued a call for Elon Musk to act responsibly following the Tesla CEO’s use of his social media platform X to post a series of comments about the protests currently gripping the UK. Musk’s posts, including a statement that “Civil war is inevitable,” questioned the current government’s actions and raised concerns about the protection of all communities within Britain. He even shared a meme and used the hashtag ‘TwoTierKeir’ to highlight complaints that the British criminal justice system treats certain communities more leniently than far-right activists.
Justice Minister Heidi Alexander, speaking to Times Radio, condemned Musk’s posts, stating that “Use of language such as a ‘civil war’ is in no way acceptable.” She emphasized the importance of responsible behavior from social media platforms. “We are seeing police officers being seriously injured, buildings set alight, and so I really do think that everyone who has a platform should be exercising their power responsibly,” Alexander added.
The British government has been actively engaging with social media companies, including Musk’s X, to combat the spread of misinformation online. “We’ve been working with the social media companies, and some of the action that they’ve taken already with the automatic removal of some false information is to be welcomed,” Alexander told the BBC. “But there is undoubtedly more that the social media companies could and should be doing,” she continued.
Violence has plagued several parts of the UK, including Plymouth and Belfast, for over a week. The unrest began following the spread of misinformation on social media by right-wing activists concerning a knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event on July 29.
Alex Krasodomski, a fellow at a London-based think tank, noted that Musk’s approach to criticism differs from the norms typically observed in Silicon Valley technology firms.
