Nick Clegg criticizes Elon Musk at Meta event

During a recent event at the Chatham House think tank in London, Nick Clegg, a senior executive at Meta and former British Deputy Prime Minister, criticized Elon Musk's management of X, formerly known as Twitter. Clegg described Musk's platform as a 'one man, sort of hyper-partisan and ideological hobby horse,' contrasting it with Meta's approach to content moderation. He emphasized the necessity of moderation on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, highlighting that they do not allow harmful content to proliferate as seen on X. Clegg pointed out that individuals banned from Meta for policy violations, such as Andrew Tate and Tommy Robinson, have been allowed to operate freely on X and Telegram, which he linked to the rise of far-right riots in Britain over the summer. He asserted that Meta is committed to collaborating with regulators in the U.K. and the European Union to establish new online content moderation standards. In his remarks, Clegg also referred to X as a 'tiny platform' primarily used by elites, arguing that it does not cater to the general public. He claimed that the majority of users on Facebook and Instagram engage with the platforms for more lighthearted reasons, contrasting this with the contentious nature of discussions on X, which he described as a space where users primarily engage in heated debates about politics and current affairs. Clegg's comments reflect a broader critique of Musk's leadership style and the implications it has for online discourse, suggesting that a lack of moderation can lead to significant societal issues. His statements underscore Meta's commitment to responsible content management in contrast to the perceived chaos on Musk's platform.