Ah, here we go again—Elon Musk, public enemy number one for the world’s bureaucrats. This time, he’s facing the prospect of being dragged in front of the UK Parliament because Labour MPs like Dawn Butler and Chi Onwurah are apparently losing sleep over algorithms on X (formerly Twitter) “amplifying hateful content.” You know, the kind of “misinformation” that only seems to matter when it doesn’t fit their narrative.
Dawn Butler is practically chomping at the bit, positioning herself as the next chair of the Science and Technology Select Committee and already lining up Musk as her star witness. According to her, Parliament needs to “formally examine” how X’s algorithms are pushing harmful material. Translation: Let’s haul Musk in and blame him for everything wrong on the internet. Because clearly, the world’s problems all stem from X’s algorithm and not from actual bad actors or—dare I say—lousy governance.
Chi Onwurah is also on board, demanding accountability for “promoting and amplifying misinformation” and—of course—racial hatred. Because, naturally, the solution to misinformation isn’t better information or open debate, but more top-down censorship, right? And let’s be real, we all know the kind of “misinformation” they’re worried about—anything that challenges their cozy worldviews.
⁉️WHAT??? Come and try it!!!
UK Police Commissioner Mark Rowley now threatens to EXTRADITE and IMPRISON U.S. citizens’ online posts that are deemed inflammatory. Elon was even mentioned. pic.twitter.com/jvjlkFTRu0— Still️Roaming (@roaming_rn) August 9, 2024
Musk’s latest UK headache comes on the heels of riots sparked by inaccurate reports on X linking a knife attack to an asylum seeker. It’s funny how they’re quick to blame Musk’s platform for spreading bad info but seem to forget how state-run media and officials often pump out their own share of “misinformation” that conveniently goes unchecked. But sure, let’s pin it all on Elon and his supposedly sinister algorithms.
Update: British MPs want to haul Elon Musk before parliament over Twitter/X role in race riots that have rocked the UK over the last week. Good thing Elon is a Texan and he doesn’t have to go!! pic.twitter.com/9kjHOzu3od
— US Civil Defense News (@CaptCoronado) August 7, 2024
And it’s not just the UK going after him—Brazil’s Supreme Court has also slapped X with a suspension, demanding a legal representative in the country. Musk has refused to comply, and now the platform faces millions in fines for what authorities claim is its role in spreading misinformation linked to—you guessed it—Bolsonaro. Because apparently, free speech and opposing views are just too dangerous for Brazil’s fragile political scene. Who knew Musk was the real mastermind behind Brazil’s political turmoil?
What’s clear is that both the UK and Brazil are using Musk and X as convenient scapegoats for their own failures in managing societal unrest. They love to talk about “holding social media accountable,” but what they really mean is exerting more control over what people see and say. If a few voices of dissent or inconvenient truths pop up, well, just blame it on X and its “dangerous” algorithms.
LATEST: Elon Musk Faces Potential Summoning by the UK Parliament Over Operations at X.
Labour MP Dawn Butler said Musk is “someone we’d like to invite” to testify before the committee on the platform’s practices. pic.twitter.com/nPoKFKzN4Y
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) September 9, 2024
So, here’s what we’ve got: Musk is getting called to Parliament like a schoolboy to the principal’s office, and Brazil is throwing a legal tantrum because someone dared to challenge their narrative. All in all, it’s just another day for the world’s favorite free-speech provocateur.
