Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been making controversial comments about the UK political situation on his social media platform, X. Musk has previously expressed his admiration for Britain, however, in recent years, his tone has changed. Musk has reportedly had social media spats with politicians in the UK, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and has donated money to the Reform UK party.
Musk’s controversial comments include labelling Britain as “going full Stalin” and that “civil war is inevitable.” He has also criticised the UK’s “prison overcrowding situation” on a Joe Rogan podcast. This shift in Musk’s views could be reflected in his changing political beliefs, he previously described himself as a centrist then donated to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Interviews and a recent biography suggest that the transition of one of his children from male to female, and her subsequent disavowal of him, has been a key turning point in his beliefs.
Musk also appears to care a lot about the issue of free speech. He has a history of reposting a particular world view that is libertarian and “anti-woke” and has been critical of laws that could be seen to restrict free expression. Musk had also been sued by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, which criticised some of the content on X, the platform which he owns. Critics have pointed out, however, that Musk has been careful not to criticise China’s president, despite China’s well-documented culture of censorship.
Britain’s Online Safety Act passed by Parliament in late 2023 could also affect Musk’s bottom line. It will allow regulator Ofcom to issue huge fines to social media companies if they’re found to have certain types of illegal content on their platforms. Some experts identify that where it gets tricky in the Act is where illegal content blurs across into the types of disinformation or misinformation we see daily on social media. This could include “racially or religiously aggravated public order offences or the incitement of violence”, which could have a profound effect on the platform’s revenues.
Despite many unanswered questions over Musk’s motivation, one thing is clear: he has funnelled his vast wealth into influence and is now exporting his views around the world
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