The European Union and the British government declare 'war' on Elon Musk

South African-born tech billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter)is not a man who is very popular these days. In fact, it seems he's making very powerful enemies in the old continent.

Musk has become embroiled in a war of words with UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer and EU commissioner Thierry Breton in the wake of the UK riots triggered by disinformation on social media.

Sir Keir, who has faced criticism for his handling of the far-right violence that swept across England and Wales leaving over 100 police officers injured, blamed social media for its role in the unrest and called on network bosses to take action.

False information was spread on various platforms including X regarding the identity of the 17-year-old who rampaged through a Taylor Swift dance workshop in Southport, northwest England, stabbing three little girls to death and severely injuring eight others on July 29.

While the arrested 17-year-old was a British-born citizen whose parents were originally from Rwanda, online rumors claimed that he was a Muslim immigrant from Syria who had entered the UK on a small boat last year.

According to Sky News, Sir Keir posted the following statement on his X account: “Let me also say to large social media companies and those who run them: violent disorder was clearly whipped up online.”

Photo: screenshot from Sir Keir Starmer's X Account

The Prime Minister added, “That is also a crime. It is happening on your premises, and the law must be upheld everywhere.”

The riots, which have largely petered out, have terrorized migrants, Muslims, and Asian communities, raising questions on Britain’s integration strategies, according to Reuters.

A self-proclaimed free speech absolutist who grew up in apartheid South Africa, Elon Musk made a show of not being daunted by the Prime Minister’s remarks, instead weighing into fray with triggering remarks such as “civil war is inevitable.”

Musk followed this statement with another incendiary remark: “If incompatible cultures are brought together without assimilation, conflict is inevitable.”

The Prime Minister’s spokesman shot back saying there is "no justification for comments like that" and "anyone who is whipping up violence online will face the full force of the law".

Photo: screenshot from Sir Keir Starmer's X account

Musk then accused Sir Keir of an unbalanced response to the violence, which died out largely thanks to crowds of anti-racist demonstrators coming out onto the streets to protect local minorities and their mosques and shops.

Following Musk’s X post saying: “Shouldn't you be concerned about attacks on *all* communities?” the tech tycoon suggested there had been two-tier policing and dubbed the Prime Minister “#Two-Tier-Keir” on his platform.

Photo: Screenshot from Elon Musk's X account

Musk then re-posted a video that suggested a police officer was arresting a man for posting offensive comments on Facebook. “Arrested for making comments on Facebook!” Musk wrote on X. “Is this Britain or the Soviet Union?”

Photo: Screenshot from Elon Musk's X account

Musk has also expressed outrage that those stirring up the unrest online are now being rounded up for trial in the UK. Of the 741 arrests related to the riots, 32 are linked to online hate speech and incitement.

But Sir Keir Starmer is not the only powerful figure attempting to curb Elon Musk’s wily remarks that appear to condone the right-wing violence in the UK and encourage conspiracy theories over the official response.

According to The Financial Times, the EU commissioner, Thierry Breton, ticked Musk off in a letter about the spread of “content that promotes hatred, disorder, incitement to violence, or certain instances of disinformation” ahead of his interview on X with Donald Trump on August 12.

Photo: screenshot of Elon Musk's X account

The FT reports that Breton told Musk he felt “compelled to remind” him, in the wake of the UK riots, of the “due diligence obligations” set out in the EU’s Digital Services Act, which was set up to police online hate speech and disinformation.

A steadfastly resistant Musk responded promptly with a meme from the 2008 movie “Tropic Thunder” in which Les Grossman shouts: “Take a big step back and literally f*** your own face.”