Elon Musk's X has quietly promised to accelerate its removal of hate speech and terrorist content following intensified pressure from the UK government. Sources familiar with the negotiations confirm that Downing Street threatened the platform with a potential fine of up to 10 per cent of its global revenue under the Online Safety Act if it failed to act. The commitment, secured during a series of private meetings, is a rare concession from a company that has styled itself as a free speech absolutist.
But insiders reveal that the reality of unaccountable power and the threat of a major financial hit forced a shift. 'They wanted to avoid being the poster child for the worst of the internet,' one source said. The pledge includes deploying more automated detection tools and dedicated human moderators specifically for English-language hate content.
However, critics argue that similar promises have been made before and broken. X's record on enforcement remains patchy, with uncovered documents showing that takedown times for flagged terrorist material have been inconsistent across different regions. The UK government has warned that any de facto loopholes will not be tolerated.
For now, X has bought itself time, but the countdown to a scandal has begun. Follow the money and you will see the real test will come when the next crisis hits.
