London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has warned individuals, including American citizens, who may be contributing to the ongoing unrest in the United Kingdom through their online activities.
In an interview with Sky News, Rowley stated, "We will throw the full force of the law at people. And whether you're in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you. Being a keyboard warrior does not make you safe from the law." He elaborated on potential offenses, including "incitement, stirring up racial hatred, [and] numerous terrorist offenses regarding the publishing of material."
Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy. If the truth is suppressed, it is impossible to make an informed voting decision.
The degree to which freedom of speech is being undermined around the world is extremely alarming.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 10, 2024
Elon Musk has been vocal in his criticism of the UK government's response to the riots. Musk suggested that the UK is headed toward "civil war" and questioned whether Britain was becoming like "the Soviet Union" in response to reports of arrests for offensive online comments.
He wrote on X, "Freedom of speech is the bedrock of democracy. If the truth is suppressed, it is impossible to make an informed voting decision. The degree to which freedom of speech is being undermined around the world is extremely alarming."
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer responded to Musk's comments, stating there was "no justification" for them. The spokesperson added that social media companies "have a responsibility" to combat misinformation and limit the spread of criminal activity on their platforms.
Just Elon Musk quote tweeting the co-leader of far-right party, Britain First, who is sharing a fake Telegraph headline
Seen by almost 1 million people in 15 minutes
Utterly dystopian pic.twitter.com/4W5ZOssbEY
— Josh Self (@Josh_Self_) August 8, 2024
Musk previously shared a fake headline – pretending to be from the Telegraph – that said Starmer is "considering building 'emergency detainment camps' on the Falkland Islands." 30 minutes later, Musk deleted the post.
