Ed Davey urges regulator to go after Elon Musk over X 'crimes'

Ed Davey urges regulator to go after Elon Musk over X 'crimes'

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey is urging the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom to investigate tech mogul Elon Musk and his social media platform X for alleged breaches of the Online Safety Act. Davey claims that X has displayed advertisements promoting harmful and illegal content, including videos with paedophile images, self-harming, and grooming. He insists that Musk should be held personally responsible for these violations of the law, which aims to protect children by imposing stricter age verification checks and penalties for failing to remove illegal material.

The government introduced the Online Safety Act earlier this year, with the intention of holding internet companies accountable for illegal content on their platforms. Musk has been vocal in his criticism of the law, accusing Ofcom of taking a heavy-handed approach and claiming that it threatens free speech. Davey further accuses Musk of neglecting child safety measures on X, allowing harmful content to proliferate. He emphasizes that Musk’s actions are in defiance of the law and condemns them as “disgusting.”

This clash between Sir Ed Davey and Elon Musk stems from their differing views on free speech and online safety. Davey has criticized Musk for his remarks at a recent rally in London, where Musk made controversial statements about migration and violence. Davey accused Musk of inciting violence and called for sanctions against him. The Liberal Democrats plan to escalate their criticism of Musk at their upcoming conference, highlighting his alleged interference in British democracy and his refusal to take responsibility for the harm caused by his platform.

In response to the growing tensions, the Lib Dems intend to table a motion in Parliament summoning Musk to appear before MPs and be held accountable for his actions. They seek to use a parliamentary mechanism to summon Musk to the House of Commons and reprimand him for his behavior. The controversy surrounding Musk and X underscores the ongoing debate over online safety, free speech, and the responsibilities of social media platforms in regulating harmful content

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