Elon Musk, recently named the world's first trillionaire, has come under renewed criticism following anti-immigrant riots in Belfast after researchers said posts he amplified on X generated tens of millions of views.
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Violence erupted in the Northern Irish capital after a knife attack on Monday. Police have charged a Sudanese national, Hadi Alodid, with attempted murder in connection with the incident.
Calls for Protest Amplified
Musk used X to promote calls for protests across Britain from anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson. In a post to his roughly 240 million followers, Musk wrote: "Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change."
He also shared anti-immigration content and posts from Rupert Lowe, leader of the fringe hard-right party Restore Britain, significantly increasing their visibility on the platform.
Researchers Highlight Reach
According to researchers at the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), posts by Musk, Robinson and Lowe relating to the Belfast unrest attracted more than 115 million views combined. The group said Musk's account was responsible for 55% of that total.
In a report, CCDH said Musk's amplification generated around 64 million views and played a key role in spreading the content.
Watchdog Criticises Platform Owner
"As the owner of X and its most followed user, Musk has unparalleled power to shape what people see online," said CCDH founder and chief executive Imran Ahmed.
Ahmed said the research showed Musk had used the Belfast attack to amplify anti-migrant narratives to millions of users, while communities were dealing with the aftermath of violence and disorder.
He added that no individual had done more to spread such content on X during the crisis than Musk.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 14 June 2026