Bruce Daisley, former vice president of Twitter for Europe, Middle East and Africa, has advocated for draconian censorship of right-wing content.
Daisley suggested that Elon Musk should be threatened with arrest and detention if he refuses to censor right-wing content on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. In an opinion piece published by The Guardian on Monday, Daisley criticized Musk’s commitment to free speech, arguing that it has undermined the platform’s previous policies that he claims were effective in preventing “antisocial behavior.”
Daisley believes that Musk has allowed right-wing thought to spread, citing the recent riots in the UK as evidence. He argues that Musk has “sowed discord” by allowing users to share content related to the riots and by posting about them himself. Daisley suggested that a potential arrest warrant could focus Musk’s attention on the issue.
Daisley also called for British regulators to “deplatform” right-wing influencers and to strengthen the Online Safety Act 2023. He cited British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s potential amendment to the act to punish social media companies that allow the spread of “legal but harmful” content. The act, which comes into effect next year, holds social media companies accountable for illegal content posted on their platforms.
Sir Mark Rowley, London’s Metropolitan Police commissioner, announced last week that his officers could charge foreigners for social media posts related to the unrest, suggesting that individuals like Elon Musk could be investigated.
Over 700 people have been arrested and over 300 charged in connection with the riots, which began after a teenager of Rwandan descent killed three children and injured ten others in a stabbing spree in Southport. Over 30 people have been charged with online offenses, including sharing footage of the riots and posting content that, according to the Crown Prosecutorial Service, “incites violence or hatred.”
Musk has been critical of the British government’s response to the riots, accusing them of operating a “two-tier” justice system that punishes dissent more harshly than violent crime. In a post on X, he cited a 1946 UN resolution stating that “freedom of information is a fundamental human right, and the touchstone of all the freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated.”