Situationer: What is Elon Musk up to?

KARACHI: The world’s richest person, Elon Musk, purchased the social media platform Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion. Later, he renamed it X. After acquiring Twitter, Elon Musk immediately tweeted, “The bird is freed,” claiming to advocate “free speech for all.” However, under the guise of free speech, Musk has continuously promoted his right-wing political ideologies and sought to expand his political influence.

After acquiring Twitter, Elon Musk reinstated around 62,000 far-right white supremacist and neo-Nazi accounts that had previously been suspended by Twitter’s former administration due to extremist tweets and spreading false news.

Musk not only supported right-wing politicians like Donald Trump in the US presidential election but also promoted Trump’s narrative on X and reportedly provided him with funding of nearly $250 million. Following Trump’s victory, Elon Musk became a key figure in Trump’s new administration and was seen accompanying him on numerous significant occasions.

After securing his interests in the US, Musk is now openly expressing his right-wing views in Europe, targeting left-wing parties in countries like Britain, Germany, and France, raising concerns among many European nations.

In Britain, Musk has recently been commenting on and sharing anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan statements on X, criticizing Pakistan and British Muslims. Musk has been making these allegations without evidence or by distorting and exaggerating facts.

Musk’s accusations revolve around the grooming gangs scandal that surfaced in Britain a decade ago. Due to the involvement of some South Asian individuals in this scandal, Musk has turned the entire episode into anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan propaganda on X.

Additionally, Musk has heavily criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of protecting the individuals involved in the scandal during his tenure as the head of Britain’s Public Prosecution Service.

Despite Musk’s anti-Muslim campaign and criticism of the British government, international media have dismissed his claims as baseless.

Prior to these recent statements, Elon Musk had interfered in British politics. Last August, during riots caused by misinformation spread on social media, Musk harshly criticized the British government. He even commented on a post related to the riots, stating that “civil war is now inevitable.”

In late November 2024, after newly elected US President Donald Trump announced that Musk would be part of his administration, Musk commented on an online petition demanding immediate general elections in Britain. He claimed that the people of Britain were tired of the oppressive rule of a police state, even though general elections had taken place only four months earlier.

Interestingly, the riots Musk blamed on the British left-wing ruling Labour Party were reportedly sparked by fake news spread by accounts reinstated on X under Musk’s leadership.

Musk has also called for the release of far-right British figure Tommy Robinson, who is imprisoned on contempt of court charges. Additionally, Musk supports Britain’s right-wing Reform UK Party.

Musk’s promotion of right-wing ideologies is not limited to British politics but extends to other European countries as well, where he seeks to influence political matters.

For example, Musk has been directly involved in Germany’s elections in February, harshly criticizing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on X and demanding his resignation. Last December, following an incident where a person drove a car into a Christmas market, Musk called the German chancellor incompetent and foolish, demanding his resignation.

Musk continues to support Germany’s far-right extremist political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), on his X account. This party is known for its anti-immigration policies and is regarded as a neo-Nazi organization in Germany.

Similarly, Musk has supported far-right French politician Marine Le Pen and far-right racist politicians in the Netherlands. Recently, Musk also labelled the European Commission, elected by the European Parliament, as undemocratic.

Additionally, Musk criticized Italy’s judiciary for limiting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s anti-immigration policies. Many European leaders have expressed concerns over Musk’s recent statements and activities.Without directly naming Elon Musk, French President Emmanuel Macron criticized him, stating, “Who could have imagined, ten years ago, that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would support an international reactionary movement and directly interfere in elections, including those in Germany?”

Similarly, the prime minister of Norway, without naming Musk, expressed concern, saying, “I am worried that an individual with such immense access to social media and vast economic resources interferes so directly in the internal affairs of other countries. This is not how democracies and their allies should interact.”

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, criticizing Musk and his supporters, stated, “They are openly attacking our institutions, promoting hate, and urging people to support the heirs of Nazism.” Elon Musk is actively interfering in the politics of several key European countries, consistently supporting far-right factions and justifying his actions under the guise of free speech. However, since Musk took over Twitter, the platform has seen a surge in fake news, increased censorship, and compliance with requests from authoritarian governments. Meanwhile, accounts revealing facts have been suspended. According to a report by the American magazine Fortune in September 2024, since Musk assumed control of Twitter, the number of suspended accounts on the platform has tripled. An Al Jazeera report from May 2, 2023, revealed that between October 2022, when Musk acquired Twitter, and April 2023, Twitter complied with 98.8% of censorship requests it received.

An April 2023 report by the Los Angeles Times stated that hate speech on the platform had doubled since Musk took over. During this period, a Forbes report noted that Musk’s Twitter complied with nearly every government request. This situation raises questions about why Musk is doing this and why he is meddling so deeply in European politics after the US. According to an article published in The Guardian by American professor and political commentator Robert Reich, “It’s clear Musk isn’t doing this for money—he already has more wealth than one individual could use in a lifetime. Partly, it’s ideological. Musk portrays himself as a champion of free speech, a narrative that pits him against Europe and Canada’s strict responses to hate speech. But the roots of Musk’s neo-fascism might run deeper.”

Reich continues, “I’m not a psychologist, but I suspect that, as a South African immigrant, Musk might be triggered by seeing non-white individuals migrating to white-majority countries.” The article also suggests that Musk’s tilt toward far-right extremism may partly stem from his relationship with his transgender child. On X, Musk has consistently criticized transgender rights, promoted anti-trans content, and called for the arrest of those providing trans care to minors. However, Musk’s recent efforts to push countries toward neo-fascist right-wing ideologies may be driven by his new thirst for global influence in right-wing politics. Following Donald Trump’s success in the US, Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has reportedly decided to align its policies with Trump and Musk’s narratives, even announcing the removal of fact-checkers from its platforms.

Elon Musk’s use of X raises serious questions about the role of social media platforms in global politics. While claiming to promote freedom of expression, Musk’s actions reveal a selective approach aligned with his political agenda. This often amplifies harmful content while silencing dissenting voices. The increasing censorship, misinformation, and Musk’s growing influence in European politics highlight the immense power wielded by the billionaire in shaping public discourse through social media.