Elon Musk May Face British Parliament Over X Platform Operations

British Labour MP Dawn Butler has revealed plans to invite Elon Musk to testify before the British parliament about the operations of his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Butler, a leading candidate to chair the House of Representatives’ Science and Technology Select Committee, expressed her intention to invite Musk as a witness to discuss the platform’s practices. She emphasized the importance of formally investigating the use of algorithms to spread hateful content on X and other social media platforms, as well as the moderation of that content.

The move comes amid a heated exchange between Musk and British politicians over the anti-immigrant riots that erupted across the country following a tragic stabbing attack in Southport. X reportedly played a central role in spreading misinformation about the attack, which fueled the riots and complicated efforts to restore order.

Musk has accused British authorities of a “unilateral” response to the unrest and has stated that “civil war is inevitable” in the country. Both Butler and her Labour rival Chi Onwurah have pledged to demand greater transparency from X if they are chosen to lead the technology oversight panel.

Onwurah emphasized the significance of understanding how social media platforms’ algorithms facilitate and amplify the spread of misinformation and racism, as well as how their business models rely on these practices.

Musk’s X business is also facing legal troubles in Brazil, where the platform is currently suspended due to a ruling by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The dispute escalated after Musk refused to comply with local regulations, including appointing a legal representative for X in Brazil.

The Brazilian judiciary has been investigating the platform for spreading misinformation linked to former President Jair Bolsonaro. Despite Musk’s protests, which he denounced as censorship, the ban was upheld by a panel of Supreme Court justices. X is currently blocked, and users who attempt to access it via a VPN can face hefty fines. X must also pay a fine of over $3 million to resume operations in Brazil.