What’s Behind Elon Musk’s UK Riots Commentary?

The country of poets and sports has now become the hub of violence and mistreatment against one religion. The United Kingdom (UK) is going through a major social media-fueled violence following a murder incident. All this started when Axel Ruda Kubana, a 17-year-old, murdered three girls and was misjudged as an immigrant. This became a calling for the revolters on the road as the community was angry about misinformation and misjudgment. The incident took place at a Taylor shift dance-themed workshop in Southport. However, the revolt has covered the entire country, with many blaming the Muslim community and immigrants for deteriorating the safety of the country. More importantly, Elon Musk’s UK riots commentary has escalated the situation.

The news of Axel being an immigrant got cleared soon, but the situation turned badly because of this misinformation. Axel is a citizen of the UK itself, and people were called out for judging too soon and too wrong, especially one religion. Instead of things getting better, the issue got bigger with the involvement of the police. The country made many attempts to control the situation, even arresting people.

Elon Musk’s UK Riots Commentary Blamed For Progression

Misformation regarding the riots spread like wildfire on social media platforms, including X. The media has blamed the defunct anti-Islamic Defense League, Steven Yaxley Lennon for posting unclear information. However, the blame does not stop there, as Tesla’s owner also came into the picture. Elon Musk’s riots commentary brought the world’s attention to the topic and probably hostility among rioters. He was among the first influential people who commented on the United Kingdom riots, but these comments were taken as fueling the fire.

Elon made the first comment on a post that blamed the mass migration and open borders for the disorder in the country. He wrote that “civil war is inevitable,” which is viewed as a negative sentiment.

For the next few days, Musk made multiple comments on the situation, like “Why aren’t all communities protected,” “Is this still happening” and many more, tagging the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer. In one such incident, Elon ended up with a false post from an article saying the president planned for the rioters to end up in emergency detainee camps. Though he removed the post within 30 minutes, viewers portrayed it as fueling the fire and escalating the riots.

Is this still happening? @Keir_Starmer https://t.co/4hbYdfB03Z

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2024

Many, including the UK Prime Minister, have criticized Musk for unnecessary criticism at such a crucial time. It is because of his big influence that might have escalated the situation.

Musk’s Behavior Is Connected With EU’s Investigation on X?

Though it has not been revealed or proven in any way, many have connected Elon’s behavior in the UK riots with the ongoing investigation by the European Commission on the X.  Earlier, the European Union officials charged the social media platform under the Digital Service Act (DSA). As a result, Elon Musk’s X Faces Potential Ban Risk In EU after Internal Markets Commissioner warned the multi-billionaire.

With great audience comes greater responsibility #DSA

As there is a risk of amplification of potentially harmful content in 🇪🇺 in connection with events with major audience around the world, I sent this letter to @elonmusk

📧⤵️ pic.twitter.com/P1IgxdPLzn

— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) August 12, 2024

As per DSA, big platforms should have the necessary practices to tackle illegal content and anything that risks the public’s security. The UK has not been part of the EU for the past four years. However, the content shared breaching DSA rules might be seen by the Europeans, making it a law break.

Nevertheless, many also believe that these comments might be worse for the ongoing case, as people used X to spread misinformation about the incident. A Commission spokesperson said,

What happens outside of the EU is not covered by the DSA, but what happens in the UK is visible here. If there are examples of hate speech or incitements to violence, they could be taken into account as part of our proceedings against X

Elon has been known for his filter-free speech and immediate action with his companies. One such judgment has resulted in the X Ceasing operation in Brazil and now EU might be next.

Final Thoughts

United Kingdom riots over the misjudgment of the community have taken a serious shape, as it has been going on for days now. The media has pointed out influential celebrities worsening the situation by spreading hate and misinformation on social media platforms. Moreover, Elon Musk’s UK riots commentary has also come to the attention as his comments were too direct. Many have also connected it with ongoing investigation on the X by European commissions.