Social media has significantly contributed to the anti-immigration riots sweeping through towns and cities in the United Kingdom. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of X (formerly Twitter), has been notably vocal in this regard.
On Sunday, Musk shared a post on X suggesting that “civil war is inevitable,” in response to a post blaming the unrest on “mass migration and open borders.” The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, criticized Musk’s comment, stating that there was “no justification” for it. Despite this, Musk continued to voice his opinions, labeling Starmer with the hashtag #TwoTierKier, a term related to the discredited notion that right-wing protests receive harsher treatment compared to left-wing ones. Musk also compared the UK’s attempts to control offensive speech on social media to Soviet-era censorship.
Musk’s promotion of anti-immigrant rhetoric underscores how online misinformation is inciting real-world violence—a growing concern for the UK government. The government has pledged to hold accountable those responsible for the riots and their online supporters.
On Tuesday, a 28-year-old man from Leeds was charged with using “threatening words or behavior intending to stir up racial hatred” online, based on alleged Facebook posts, according to the UK Crown Prosecution Service.
Recent riots have led to property damage, arson, and assaults on police officers. Rioters also targeted two Holiday Inn hotels believed to house asylum seekers. The unrest began after far-right groups falsely claimed that a horrific stabbing attack, which resulted in the deaths of three children, was perpetrated by a Muslim asylum seeker. The suspect, identified as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, was actually born in the UK.
The spread of false information about the attack, described as one of the worst mass stabbings targeting children in decades, fueled outrage against immigrants. Despite police clarification, false names and misinformation circulated widely on social media. According to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a false name linked to the alleged asylum seeker was mentioned over 30,000 times on X alone the day after the attack.
The UK government suspects that bots, potentially linked to state-backed actors, may have exacerbated the spread of misinformation. Social media companies have struggled to enforce hate speech and violence policies effectively, particularly during crises.
Musk’s promotion of inflammatory content on X, including antisemitic conspiracy theories and relaxed content moderation policies, has drawn criticism. This includes the reinstatement of far-right figures like Tommy Robinson, previously banned for violating hate speech rules.
The UK government is pushing for stronger action against online criminality and misinformation. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper criticized the role of social media in amplifying false information and inciting violence. During a cabinet meeting, Starmer promised swift justice for those involved in the riots, both offline and online. Peter Kyle, Minister for Science and Technology, emphasized the responsibility of social media companies to curb hateful disinformation.
The UK’s Online Safety Act, set to come into effect later this year, aims to tackle illegal online content and false information. Ofcom, the regulator responsible for enforcing the Act, is preparing to implement these new rules, which could lead to significant fines for non-compliant companies.