Elon Musk has been accused of aggravating tensions after a week of far-right rioting in UK, igniting calls for the government to expedite the rollout of laws policing harmful online content. Misinformation and calls to commit violence have spread like wild fire on social media over the past week after far-right and anti-Muslim groups reacted to the fatal stabbing of three young girls in the English town of Southport.

As rioters clashed with police in many towns and cities, Musk joined the discussion on his X platform, posting irresponsibly that civil war was “inevitable” in Britain. PM Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said there was absolutely “no justification” for such comments. Separately, Starmer cautioned social media companies that violent chaos whipped up online was a crime “on your premises”, while adding there was a “balance to be struck” in management of the firms. The official responses mirror the tough situation the government is in.

An Online Safety Bill was enacted into law in October but is yet to be implemented. It gives media regulator Ofcom the authority to fine social media companies up to 10% of global turnover if they are found in contravention of the law, for instance by failing to police content provoking violence or terrorism. But Ofcom is still in the process of drawing up guidelines outlining how it will enforce the law, with implementation not expected until early next year. In the wake of ongoing violence, some are calling for the rules to be prescribed sooner.

On Wednesday, Ofcom published an open letter emphasizing social media companies’ responsibility to safeguard users from harmful content, even without the Online Safety Act in force. Director Gill Whitehead stated: “In a few months, new safety duties under the Online Safety Act will be in place, but you can act now – there is no need to wait to make your sites and apps safer for users.”

A fellow at industry body BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, Adam Leon Smith, wants Ofcom to start imposing the Online Safety Act as soon as possible. “There must be a tipping point where a foreign billionaire platform owner has to take some responsibility for running a toxic bot network that has become one of the main sources of fake news and misinformation in the UK,” he said.

Laws appropriately governing online safety are long overdue, said Kirsty Blackman (an MP for the Scottish National Party). “I would back moves for the timetable to be accelerated,” she stated. “Requirements should be brought in as soon as possible, particularly for the biggest and highest-risk platforms.” An Ofcom spokesperson informed: “We’re moving quickly to implement the Online Safety Act so we can enforce it as soon as possible. To do this, we are required to consult on codes of practice and guidance, after which the new safety duties on platforms will become enforceable.”