A growing number of social media users on X (formerly Twitter) are choosing to block Elon Musk, amid allegations that he is spreading disinformation and contributing to online unrest.
This backlash follows a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which claims that Musk has posted 50 misleading or false statements since the start of the year. These posts, viewed over 1.2 billion times, include a deepfake video that falsely shows US Vice President Kamala Harris referring to herself as “the ultimate diversity hire.”
Musk’s recent activity on X has drawn particular attention as he has openly criticized the UK government’s efforts to regulate social media in the wake of riots incited by false information.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been vocal about the need for social media platforms to take responsibility for content that leads to violence. “Violent disorder, clearly whipped up online, is a crime. It’s happening on your premises, and the law must be upheld everywhere,” Starmer warned.
Musk, however, dismissed these concerns, tweeting during the unrest on August 3 that “civil war is inevitable” and criticizing the UK’s immigration policies. He followed this by calling for support of “freedom of speech in the UK!” and questioning whether Britain was starting to resemble the Soviet Union.
The hashtag #BlockElonMusk began trending on X over the weekend as users expressed their frustration and shared screenshots of blocking Musk. “I’m just an ordinary user, but I don’t have to put up with his dangerous nonsense,” one user posted. Another commented, “It had to be done. He’s spiraling out of control along with his buddy Trump. Maybe people are finally waking up to these manipulators?”