By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
Elon Musk recently deleted an image he shared on X (formerly Twitter) that promoted a conspiracy theory about the UK allegedly constructing "detainment camps" on the Falkland Islands for rioters. The image, which was doctored to resemble a screenshot from the Daily Telegraph's website, was initially posted by Ashlea Simon, co-leader of the far right Britain First party, though it had circulated online prior to her sharing it. Musk's post, which garnered over 1.7 million views before being removed, sparked controversy. A brief community note appeared under Simon's original post, clarifying that the story did not exist, before her post was also taken down.
This incident is part of a pattern of controversial actions by Musk since the unrest began, some of which have been directly criticized by the UK Prime Minister. The role of social media platforms, including X, in the ongoing disorder has come under intense scrutiny, with the UK government and media regulator Ofcom calling for stronger actions from these platforms. The Telegraph emphasized that the article in question was entirely fabricated and urged relevant platforms to take the post down.
Musk did not acknowledge the post before or after its removal, and the we have sought comment from X. Comments under Musk's post likened the UK to a fascist state, adding to the controversy. This incident comes amid the UK government's struggle to combat online misinformation during the ongoing unrest across England and Northern Ireland. Both the government and Ofcom have urged social media companies to address their role in the crisis, with Ofcom set to gain enhanced powers under the Online Safety Act by 2025 to take more decisive action against such posts.
Musk had previously responded to a post by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, in which Starmer condemned attacks on mosques and Muslim communities, by questioning why there wasn't concern for attacks on all communities. Starmer, when asked about Musk's comments, emphasized his focus on ensuring the safety of all communities and supporting police efforts.
Before Musk acquired Twitter in 2022, Britain First had been banned from the platform under its hate speech policies. However, Musk lifted the ban after taking over, citing his opposition to censorship beyond the law and his commitment to "free speech absolutism." This allowed Britain First and other far right figures to return to the platform. Although Musk has praised X's "community notes" feature, which allows users to verify the accuracy of posts, the feature has been criticized for being slow to respond; in this case, it took nearly 10 hours for a community note to appear under Simon's post, and no such note was added to Musk's post before its deletion.
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