LONDON — Elon Musk is beefing with British politicians again — and they’re not impressed.
The X owner and Donald Trump ally brushed off a call from the House of Commons’ science and technology committee to answer questions on his role in riots that swept the U.K. this summer.
Committee chair Chi Onwurah told POLITICO this week that she wanted to grill Musk — tapped up to lead a government efficiency drive under U.S. President-elect Trump — on the social media giant’s role in tackling disinformation amid the unrest on the streets of the U.K.
The committee is launching an inquiry into “social media, misinformation and harmful algorithms” after riots — in part fueled by inaccurate posts on X about the killing of three schoolgirls in the town of Southport — gripped the U.K. in August.
But Musk said of the committee in a post on his X platform: “They will be summoned to the United States of America to explain their censorship and threats to American citizens.”
Onwurah said this week that Musk “is the most senior representative of X and one moreover who we know has very strong views on misinformation, communication, free speech and society.”
“I would very much hope he would want to share the thinking behind those views with the committee, especially given his role as advisor to President-elect Trump and the disappointment he expressed on not being invited to the U.K. investment summit,” she added, referring to a major government-hosted summit held earlier this year to try and drum up investment in British businesses.
Musk’s apparent brush-off hasn’t gone down well with members of the committee.
Reacting on X, Labour MP Emily Darlington hit out at the “strange response” and called his comments a “threat.”
She added: “What a shame. I would like to understand his POV when looking at this important issue.”
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