The social media platform X makes a “very good argument” for introducing stricter limits on hate speech, a former Conservative Party chairman has said.
Lord Patten, the outgoing chancellor of Oxford University and last Governor of Hong Kong, addressed the social media platform’s controversies in a wide ranging interview with Lord Speaker John McFall.
Reflecting on what moderate “One Nation Conservatism” represents in the UK today, Lord Patten argued Britons tend not to be attracted to extreme politics. “I think we are a pretty moderate country”, he said. “I think it’s why we haven’t had much in the way of revolutions.”
Patten, who served as Conservative Party chairman from 1990 to 1992, added: “And I think even when it comes to things like free speech, we tend not to want to take it to extremes.”
“I think the greatest Conservative political thinker was Edmund Burke who said, ‘Liberty must be limited in order to be possessed.’ And you look at [Elon] Musk today, you look at Telegram and X, and you think they’re very good arguments not for getting rid of or attacking free speech, but for actually putting limits on what people can say in terms of hate speech, in terms of spreading disinformation.”
On Wednesday, it was announced that MPs will investigate possible links between between social media algorithms and the spread of harmful, false content in the wake of rioting which took place in the UK over the summer.
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The science, innovation and technology committee has launched a new inquiry which will consider the role of false claims, spread via profit-driven social media algorithms, in triggering the wave of anti-immigration riots in July and August 2024.
Far right disorder erupted on England’s streets following the spread of misinformation about the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport. False speculation, which circulated widely on X, suggested the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat.
Chi Onwurah, the chair of the science, innovation and technology committee, revealed that Musk, the world’s richest man, could be called upon to give evidence to MPs as part of the inquiry.
She told the Guardian newspaper: “I would certainly like the opportunity to cross-examine him to see … how he reconciles his promotion of freedom of expression with his promotion of pure disinformation.”
During the summer, Musk repeatedly argued that “two-tier policing” existed in the UK and attacked the government for what he claimed was a crackdown on freedom of speech during the disorder which led to more than 1,000 arrests.
In September, Musk commented on reports he was not invited to an upcoming investment summit over his incendiary social media posts. “I don’t think anyone should go to the UK when they’re releasing convicted pedophiles [sic] in order to imprison people for social media posts”, he wrote on X.
Musk’s management of X, which has led to a decrease in content moderation on the site, has caused many users to leave the platform for competitor Bluesky.
The number of users on the rival site has surged in recent weeks, with the official Bluesky account announcing that the platform has passed 20 million users.
Former Labour minister Peter Mandelson, tipped to become the next UK ambassador to Washington, last week insisted Labour should “redouble our efforts” to connect with the tech tycoon because he is too influential to ignore.
Mandelson, who is tipped as the frontrunner to become the UK ambassador to the US, told The News Agents podcast that Musk “was probably wound up and primed by Labour’s political opponents [Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party] to influence the [UK general] election campaign.”
Last week, Donald Trump, the US president-elect, announced the appointment of Musk to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), following months in which the Tesla owner had successfully ingratiated himself with the Republican’s inner circle.
During the US presidential election, Musk donated $120 million to Trump’s campaign, held rallies for him in the swing state of Pennsylvania and promoted his campaign’s messages relentlessly on X.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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