Elon Musk could soon be summoned to the UK Parliament to explain the practices of his social media platform, X.
Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Dawn Butler said that Musk is someone the Parliament would like to question, particularly regarding the platform's role in managing harmful content.
"It is vital <...> to formally examine the use of algorithms in pushing hateful material — and the moderation of such content — on X and other social media platforms," Butler told the Financial Times.
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Fellow Labour MP Chi Onwurah has voiced similar concerns speaking to Politico:
The really important points here are the way algorithms of platforms promote and amplify misinformation and the spreading of racial hatred, and how the platforms’ business models rely on that.
The focus on Elon Musk's platform came after it was accused of spreading false information that sparked anti-immigration riots in the UK. Following a tragic knife attack in Southport, which resulted in the deaths of three young girls, inaccurate reports spread on X, saying that the suspect was an asylum seeker.
Musk's challenges aren't limited to the UK—the Brazilian Supreme Court recently suspended X after Musk refused to appoint a legal representative in the country. The issues in Brazil were related to the platform's role in spreading misinformation tied to former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Overall, the situation of X in both the UK and Brazil showcases that regulators seek to hold social media companies accountable for the content shared on their platforms.
