Elon Musk’s UK ‘civil struggle’ publish criticised by No 10

Downing Road has criticised feedback by Elon Musk, who mentioned in a publish on X, previously Twitter, that “civil struggle is inevitable” following unrest within the UK.

Mr Musk made the remarks in response to a video displaying individuals aiming fireworks at police.

The prime minister’s spokesperson mentioned there was “no justification” for Mr Musk’s feedback, including there was extra that social media firms “can and needs to be doing”.

It comes after the Prime Minister informed an emergency assembly in regards to the violent dysfunction in UK cities and cities that individuals who incite violence on-line will probably be prosecuted.

“The legislation applies on-line, so if you happen to’re inciting violence, it does not matter whether or not it is on-line or offline”, Sir Keir Starmer mentioned.

And his spokesperson mentioned social media corporations “have a accountability” to make sure felony exercise – together with from these exterior the UK – just isn’t being shared on-line.

“Clearly now we have seen bot exercise on-line, a lot of which could be amplified with the involvement of state actors amplifying a few of the disinformation and misinformation that we have seen,” they mentioned.

However they might not say which international locations the federal government believes are behind the posts.

Earlier the Residence Secretary Yvette Cooper mentioned social media corporations wanted to take motion over “surprising misinformation”, on-line agitators and the “organisation of violence”.

She informed the In the present day programme social media corporations should not performing rapidly sufficient to take away “felony materials” after days of protests in UK cities and cities.

The BBC has approached X, Meta, TikTok and Snap for remark.

The house secretary mentioned social media firms have to “take accountability” over on-line posts encouraging criminality.

“There’s been some surprising misinformation that has escalated a few of this, however then there’s additionally been the deliberate organisation of violence as effectively,” she mentioned.

“You’ll be able to’t simply have the armchair thuggery of the individuals with the ability to incite and organise violence and in addition not face penalties for this.”

Offences regarding incitement underneath UK legislation predate social media, and are listed underneath the Public Order Act 1986.

This will likely embrace upsetting violence and harassment, in addition to participating in rioting.

In the meantime the On-line Security Act, which turned legislation in 2023 however has not but totally come into impact, would require social media corporations to “take sturdy motion in opposition to unlawful content material and exercise”, together with “racially or religiously aggravated” offences in addition to inciting violence.

The felony offences launched by the act will cowl sending “threatening communications” on-line, and sharing “false data supposed to trigger non-trivial hurt”.

Ms Cooper mentioned social media corporations are failing “recognise the impression” of on-line agitators, with some on-line posts in regards to the unrest together with “issues that are clearly already felony”.

“There are crimes which have been dedicated on social media in inflaming this and inspiring and selling violence,” she mentioned.

“There are areas the place the social media firms do have clear necessities in the intervening time to take away felony materials and needs to be doing so, however generally take too lengthy to take action.”

Ms Cooper mentioned there are different areas the place corporations have “made commitments round their phrases and circumstances which might be speculated to be enforced” – however posts should not being eliminated.

She mentioned the federal government was “pursuing this” with social media firms this week.

And when requested particularly about posts made by English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson – actual title Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – Ms Cooper mentioned she had seen movies posted by “a collection of agitators”, and wouldn’t touch upon “particular person items of fabric that could be topic to a police investigation or a felony investigation”.

Anne Craanen, Senior Analysis and Coverage Supervisor on Extremism on the ISD think-tank, mentioned the connection between on-line exercise and offline violence is “very exhausting to evaluate” – however amid latest unrest “the connection is abundantly clear”.

“Platforms have developed disaster response protocols for responding to terrorist and mass-casualty occasions however proceed to battle with violent incidents which can result in disinformation that will encourage additional violence,” she mentioned.

“Platforms, within the case of Southport, didn’t implement their very own Phrases of Service adequately or in a well timed trend.”

The prime minister just lately criticised the position social media has performed within the unrest, telling corporations final week – and “those that run them” – that “violent dysfunction clearly whipped up on-line” is against the law.

Simply three days after the prime minister’s feedback, Mr Musk made his publish calling civil struggle within the UK “inevitable”.

Mr Musk’s feedback have drawn ire from some on-line, with satirist Armando Iannucci saying the billionaire had been “taken in by your individual platform, which amplifies noise on the expense of info”.

In the meantime Sunder Katwala, director of assume tank British Future, mentioned the publish was “spreading a story that’s essential to socialising individuals with pretty excessive view in the direction of condoning violence to guard their group”.

He mentioned there must be “sturdy responses from authorities, Ofcom, and parliament” to the feedback.

An Ofcom spokesperson informed the BBC it’s “shifting rapidly” to implement the On-line Security Act, so it may be enforced “as quickly as attainable”.

“When it comes totally into power, tech corporations should assess the chance of unlawful content material on their platforms, take steps to cease it showing and act rapidly to take away it once they develop into conscious of it,” they mentioned.

“We anticipate the unlawful harms duties to return into power from across the finish of the yr… and the extra duties on the most important companies in 2026.”