Elon Musk is a controversial figure in the online community, or any community really. Whether you think he’s a super genius the likes of which the world has never seen, or simply a scammer ruining perfectly good social media sites, you’ll find strong opinions on both sides.
Someone who has voiced his opinion about the Musk master is former Twitter vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Bruce Daisely. In a Guardian article on Musk’s allusions to civil war during the recent unrest in the UK, Daisley suggests a simple solution to stop Musk’s troublemaking antics: arrest him.
For those not internationally informed, Britain has been the scene of a number of far-right protests recently – ostensibly against immigration and crime, but really more of an excuse to destroy the local library in the name of St George. The BBC can explain this much better than I can.
Musk had previously tweeted under a video of the Liverpool riots that “a civil war is inevitable,” drawing criticism from the British government and many online voices. He also called current British Prime Minister Kier Starmer a “two-class Kier” and a hypocrite, and shared fake news posts claiming Starmer would set up internment camps for the rioters in the Falkland Islands.
“In the short term, Musk and his colleagues should be reminded of their criminal liability for their actions under existing laws. The UK’s Online Safety Act 2023 should be strengthened with immediate effect,” writes Daisley:
“In my experience, the threat of personal sanctions on executives is much more effective than the risk of corporate penalties. If Musk continues to cause trouble, an arrest warrant against him might set off fireworks from his fingertips, but as an international jetsetter it would have the effect of focusing his thoughts.”
He raises an interesting point that is hotly debated in our modern, social media-influenced times: What kind of legal consequences could be taken to stop an individual – especially one with great power and influence – from spreading false information and calling for real-world action?
The UK government was quick to condemn Musk’s words, with Kier Starmer calling for a “serious conversation” with social media companies about their role in the recent unrest – although any changes to the law are currently under consideration rather than imminent. However, two men have already been jailed for posting criminal messages online in connection with the recent violence.
One of the former Twitter bosses still believes that the best idea would be to punish Musk with the following stipulation:
“Musk may rise to the top of your timeline with his angry tweets, but the will of a democratically elected government should matter more than the anger of a tech oligarch – even his.”
