Elon Musk challenges BBC reporter on hate speech claims and COVID misinformation
A confrontational interview between Elon Musk and a BBC journalist covering Twitter's content moderation policies.
Summary
This is a transcript of a live interview between Elon Musk, owner of Twitter (now X), and a BBC journalist. The exchange becomes combative as Musk challenges the reporter's claim that hate speech has increased on Twitter since his takeover, pressing him repeatedly to name a single specific example. The reporter admits he cannot provide one, having stopped using the "For You" feed weeks earlier, which Musk uses to argue the reporter does not know what he is talking about. The conversation then shifts to COVID misinformation labels, with Musk turning the questioning back on the BBC, asking whether the BBC holds itself responsible for misinformation about masking and vaccine side effects, and whether it was pressured by the British government to change its editorial policy. The reporter declines to address these questions, stating he is not a representative of BBC editorial policy.
Key Takeaways
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Dispute over whether hate speech has increased on Twitter
Elon Musk: That's false. No, what I claim was — I say so that you don't know what you're talking about.
BBC Reporter: Really?
Musk: You know, who's to say that something is misinformation? Who is the arbiter of that? Is it the BBC?
Reporter: You're literally asking me. Yes. Well, no — you are the arbiter on Twitter because you own Twitter.
Musk: Yes. I'm saying: who is to say that one person's misinformation is another person's information? The point at which you said that this is misinformation — who is going to decide that?
Reporter: Do you accept that misinformation can be dangerous, that it can cause real-world harms, that it can potentially cause —
Musk: Yeah, so the point I'm trying to make is that the BBC itself has at times published things that are false. Do you agree that that has occurred?
Reporter: I'm quite sure the BBC have said things before that turn out to not be true. Correct. In its — whatever it is — hundred-year history, I'm quite sure. Yes. Even if you aspire to be accurate, there are times when you will not be.
Musk: We've spoken to people very recently who were involved in moderation, and they just say there's not enough people to police this stuff, particularly around hate speech in the company.
Reporter: What hate speech are you talking about? I mean, you use Twitter. Do you see a rise in hate speech?
Musk: But just as a personal anecdote — what do you see? I don't.
Reporter: Personally, for me, I would see — I get more of that kind of content, yeah, personally. But I'm not going to talk for the rest of Twitter.
Musk: You see more hate speech personally?
Reporter: I would say I would see more hateful content in that.
Musk: Content you don't like, or hateful? What do you mean to describe a hateful thing?
Reporter: Yeah, I mean — just content that will solicit a reaction to something that may include something that is slightly racist or slightly sexist, those kinds of things.
Musk: So you think if something is slightly sexist it should be banned?
Reporter: I'm not saying anything. I'm just —
Musk: I'm just curious. I'm trying to understand what you mean by hateful content. I'm asking for specific examples. And you just said that if something is slightly sexist, that's hateful content. Does that mean that it should be banned?
Reporter: Well, you've asked me whether my feed has got less or more. I'd say it's got slightly more.
Musk: That's why I'm asking for examples. Can you name one example?
Reporter: I honestly — I don't. Honestly, I don't.
Musk: You can't name a single example?
Reporter: I'll tell you why — because I don't actually use that "For You" feed anymore, because I just don't particularly like it. A lot of people are quite similar. I only —
Musk: Well, hang on a second. You said you've seen more hateful content but you can't name a single example — not even one.
Reporter: I'm not sure I've used that feed for the last three or four weeks.
Musk: Well then how did you see that hateful content?
Reporter: Because I've been using Twitter since you've taken over, for the last six months.
Musk: Okay, so then you must have at some point seen hateful content on your "For You" feed. I'm asking for one example.
Reporter: Right.
Musk: You can't give a single one. And I'm saying — then I say so that you don't know what you're talking about.
Reporter: Really?
Musk: Yes. Because you can't give a single example of hateful content — not even one tweet — and yet you claimed that the hateful content was high. That's false.
Reporter: No, what I claimed was there are many organisations that say that that kind of content is on the rise. Now, whether it has a —
Musk: Give me one example. You literally can't name one.
Reporter: Something like the Institute for Strategic Dialogue in the UK. They will say that.
Musk: Look, people will say all sorts of nonsense. I'm literally asking for a single example and you can't name one.
Reporter: Right, and as I've already said, I don't use that feed.
Musk: But then how would you know?
Reporter: I don't think this is getting anywhere. You literally said you experienced more hateful content and then couldn't name a single example.
Musk: Right, and as I said, I haven't actually looked at that feed.
Reporter: Then how would you know there's hateful content?
Musk: Because I'm saying that's what I saw a few weeks ago. I can't give you an exact example.
COVID misinformation labels and questions about BBC editorial policy
Reporter: Let's move on. We only have a certain amount of time. COVID misinformation — you've changed the COVID misinformation labels. There used to be a policy and then it disappeared. Why do that?
Musk: COVID is no longer an issue. Does the BBC hold itself at all responsible for misinformation regarding masking and side effects of vaccinations, and not reporting on that at all? And what about the fact that the BBC was put under pressure by the British government to change its editorial policy? Are you aware of that?
Reporter: This is not an interview about the BBC.
Musk: Oh, you thought it wasn't? I see now why you've done Twitter Spaces.
Reporter: I am not a representative of the BBC's editorial policy. I want to make that clear.