Newly minted trillionaire Musk under fire over Belfast riots
Yahoo • • world
Key Points:
- Elon Musk, recently named the world's first trillionaire, has been criticized for amplifying anti-immigrant content on his platform X, which researchers say contributed to violent narratives during riots in Belfast.
- Following a knife attack in Belfast, Musk promoted calls for protests by anti-immigration figures Tommy Robinson and Rupert Lowe, significantly increasing the reach of their posts to millions of users.
- The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) reported that posts by Musk and these activists about the Belfast unrest garnered over 115 million views, with Musk responsible for 55 percent of the total amplification.
- CCDH highlighted a surge in violent comments, including calls for lynchings and crimes against immigrants, predominantly in response to Robinson's posts, raising concerns about the role of online platforms in inciting hatred and violence.
- The controversy coincided with Musk's milestone of becoming the world's first trillionaire after SpaceX's record-breaking IPO, which raised over $75 billion.