‘Is this Britain or the Soviet Union?’: Elon Musk hits back after video appears to show man arrested for Facebook comments | Politics News

Elon Musk has escalated his row with the UK by questioning whether it was “Britain or the Soviet Union” after a man was apparently arrested over comments he made on Facebook.

The billionaire owner of X was involved in a war of words with Sir Keir Starmer on the riots plaguing the UK, amid concerns that online misinformation is fueling the unrest.

In his latest rebuke, Musk retweeted a video that appeared to show police officers arresting a man for making offensive comments on Facebook.

He said: “Arrested for making comments on Facebook!

“Is this Britain or the Soviet Union? This is accurate @Community Notes.”

Community Notes is X’s own fact-checking feature.

In the video, the man is arrested on suspicion of improper use of the electronic communications network.

This covers things like sending a message that is “grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character” and can result in a maximum sentence of six months in prison or a fine.

In another tweet on Tuesday afternoon aimed directly at Sir Keir, Musk asked “why aren’t all communities protected in Britain?”

It was in response to a video showing large crowds of masked people gathered outside a pub, some waving the Palestinian flag.

Musk directed a similar comment at the Prime Minister yesterday after Sir Keir said he would not tolerate attacks on Muslim communities.

Mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers have been among the targets of unrest across the UK over the past week.

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