Sir Ed Davey brands Elon Musk a criminal and calls for his arrest for 'allowing online harm to children' | Politics News

Sir Ed Davey has branded Elon Musk a legal and known as for him to be prosecuted for “permitting on-line hurt to youngsters” on his social media platform X.

The Lib Dem chief advised Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips the billionaire proprietor of X, previously Twitter, is “inciting violence” and his social media platform is actively failing to guard youngsters.

Sir Ed, talking from the Lib Dem convention in Bournemouth, stated Mr Musk might be prosecuted below the On-line Security Act, below which social media corporations have a authorized obligation to guard youngsters from dangerous content material and their administrators are chargeable for legal prosecution for breaching it.

Requested if he’s calling Mr Musk a legal, Sir Ed didn’t miss a beat as he stated: “Sure.

“Not simply due to the terrible issues he is finished in inciting violence, and, for instance, he says a civil struggle in our nation is inevitable, that our democratically elected authorities needs to be overthrown.

“They had been dangerous sufficient. However on his platform, they’re examples of antagonistic, pushing folks on self-harm, on grooming, even promoting movies exhibiting paedophile acts, of kid intercourse abuse acts and I feel he needs to be held to account for them, him personally and his enterprise.

“Ofcom now has the powers below the On-line Security Act.”

He stated if Mr Musk involves the UK, he needs to be arrested.

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Mr Musk was accused of inciting violence throughout a march organised by Tommy Robinson in London final week.

He advised the protest through video hyperlink: “It is a message to the cheap centre, the individuals who ordinarily would not get entangled in politics, who simply wish to dwell their lives. They do not need that, they’re quiet, they only go about their enterprise.

“My message is to them: if this continues, that violence goes to come back to you, you’ll have no alternative. You are in a basic scenario right here.

“Whether or not you select violence or not, violence is coming to you. You both combat again otherwise you die, that is the reality, I feel.”

Sir Ed stated it’s “surprising” that Mr Musk eliminated a few of X’s baby security groups when he took over Twitter in 2022 and accused him of simply being “desirous about his checking account”.

“I am within the security of our youngsters, and it’s fairly unsuitable that his enterprise places on these adverts,” stated the Lib Dem chief.

“It is disgusting and I hope all people will agree with me and the Liberal Democrats that we must always take actually sturdy motion in opposition to him.”

After Mr Musk acquired Twitter, lots of its baby security employees had been laid off or resigned, and the platform’s belief and security council was disbanded.

Youngster safety specialists have accused Mr Musk of main a “race to the underside on security”.

Ofcom, the UK’s unbiased media regulator, which has the facility to prosecute administrators of social media platforms below the On-line Security Act, has launched an investigation into X’s dealing with of kid sexual abuse content material.

This isn’t the primary time Sir Ed has hit out on the world’s richest man, as he known as for the US ambassador to be summoned in February “to ask why an incoming US official is suggesting the UK authorities needs to be overthrown”.

Mr Musk reacted by calling Sir Ed a “snivelling cretin”.

Sir Ed is predicted to reiterate his name for Mr Musk’s arrest at his convention speech on Tuesday.