Elon Musk has come under fire from former first minister Humza Yousaf, who called the tech mogul “one of the most dangerous men on the planet” for his actions on the internet. Yousaf raised worries about Musk’s use of his riches and platform to spread divisive content in his remarks during Iain Dale’s All Talk show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Yousaf charged Musk, the founder of X (formerly Twitter), with fostering “wicked evil” through the spread of false information and extreme viewpoints. Musk has been under fire for disseminating content that incites hatred, such as false information regarding the UK government’s handling of the recent riots and polarizing pictures of anti-immigration demonstrations. Yousaf contended that Musk purposefully propagates lies and far-right conspiracy theories, causing societal division and maybe instigating violence, in spite of his high level of intelligence and technological proficiency.
One notable example was Musk’s recent sharing of a manipulated image, supposedly from the Daily Telegraph, which falsely claimed that the UK government was considering detainment camps on the Falkland Islands for riot suspects. Although the Telegraph debunked the image, Musk’s post had already reached hundreds of thousands of his followers before being deleted.
Yousaf criticized Musk for not verifying the accuracy of such claims, asserting that his actions demonstrate a dangerous disregard for the truth. “He is not accountable to anybody,” Yousaf remarked, emphasizing the peril of Musk’s unchecked influence.
Yousaf discussed his own time as First Minister in addition to his remarks about Musk. He acknowledged that his rigorous schedule caused him to make mistakes that resulted in both personal and political difficulties, such as a strained marriage to his spouse.
Critics have called for tougher laws on social media platforms due to Musk’s management of X’s promotion of hate speech and false information. While not yet completely implemented, the UK’s Online Safety Act might subject platforms that fail to adequately filter hazardous information to significant fines and criminal penalties.