MPs to call on Musk to testify about X's role in August riots

MPs are to summon Elon Musk to testify about X's role in spreading disinformation, in a parliamentary inquiry into the riots in the UK in August and the rise of false and harmful content disseminated by artificial intelligence.

- Robert Booth & Jessica Elgot

Senior executives from Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, and Tik Tok are also expected to be called for questioning as part of a House of Commons science and technology select committee social media inquiry.

The first hearings will take place in the new year, amid rising concern that UK online safety laws risk being outpaced by rapidly advancing technology and the politicisation of platforms such as X.

The MPs will investigate the consequences of generative AI, which was used in widely shared images on Facebook and X inciting people to join Islamophobic protests after the murder of three schoolgirls in Southport in August. They will also investigate Silicon Valley business models that "encourage the spread of content that can mislead and harm us".

"[Musk] has very strong views on multiple aspects of this," said Chi 0nwurah, the Labour chair of the select committee. "Iwould 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."