Labour’s increasingly bitter confrontation with Elon Musk escalated on Tuesday after Technology Secretary Liz Kendall accused the billionaire’s platforms of allowing harmful content to flourish online and warned that inciting violence on the internet is a criminal offence.
In one of the Government’s strongest attacks yet on the world’s richest man, Ms Kendall signalled that ministers were prepared to challenge major technology companies when they believe British laws are being breached.
Her intervention comes amid mounting tensions between the Government and Musk, whose social media platform X has repeatedly clashed with ministers over content moderation, online safety and free speech.
Speaking during a media appearance, Ms Kendall delivered a blunt message.
“People inciting violence online, it is illegal. And this week in Parliament, we’re laying new codes of practice about that,” she said.
The remarks are likely to be viewed as a direct response to growing concerns within Government about inflammatory content circulating on social media platforms, particularly following recent unrest and a series of high-profile online controversies.
Ms Kendall also referenced a dispute involving Grok, Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot integrated into X.
When Grok X and Elon Musk allowed vile deepfake sexualised images of women and children, we told them enough is enough and they backed down,” she said.
The row centred on concerns over AI-generated content and manipulated images, an area increasingly attracting scrutiny from regulators around the world.
X subsequently restricted some image-generation and editing capabilities in jurisdictions where such content risks breaching local laws, including Britain.
The dispute highlights the growing collision between governments seeking tighter regulation of technology firms and Silicon Valley companies that have traditionally resisted state intervention.
At the heart of the argument lies Britain’s Online Safety Act, one of the most ambitious attempts by any Western government to impose legal responsibilities on social media companies.
Under the legislation, firms can face fines worth up to 10 per cent of global revenue if they fail to protect users from illegal content.
For technology giants with billions of users worldwide, the potential penalties run into hundreds of millions of pounds.
Asked whether Musk was likely to be concerned by her criticism, Ms Kendall appeared unfazed.
“I don’t think he’ll give a stuff what I say, but I’m gonna stand up. I care about what’s right for the British people and the British law,” she said.
The latest clash comes as Sir Keir Starmer presses ahead with plans to ban under-16s from accessing social media platforms.
The proposed restrictions, expected to become law by the end of the year, would place responsibility on technology companies to prevent underage users from accessing their services.
Firms that fail to comply could face enforcement action from regulators.
The policy represents a significant expansion of Government intervention into the digital sphere and reflects growing concern among ministers about the impact of social media on children’s mental health and wellbeing.
For Musk, the dispute adds another front to an increasingly fraught relationship with the British Government.
The X owner has repeatedly criticised Labour ministers and intervened in British political debates, drawing accusations from opponents that he is seeking to inflame divisions within the country.
Ministers, meanwhile, appear increasingly willing to confront one of the world’s most powerful technology entrepreneurs.
As Britain tightens its online safety regime and social media companies face greater scrutiny than ever before, the battle between Westminster and Silicon Valley shows little sign of easing.
For Labour, the message is clear: even the world’s richest man is expected to follow British law.
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