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The Guardian view on Elon Musk’s disinformation: escalating hate and threatening democracy | Editorial

The UK prime minister calls out the reckless amplification of conspiracy theories by the world’s richest man on child sexual abuse. Good

On Monday, Sir Keir Starmer rightly defended robust debate but insisted it “must be grounded in facts, not lies”, in response to Elon Musk’s falsehoods about his role in dealing with child sexual exploitation. The prime minister has wisely not engaged Mr Musk directly, partly because the world’s richest man is a member of Donald Trump’s inner circle. Sir Keir recognises this epistemic crisis as a coordinated campaign to spread disinformation, sow division, and erode trust. As the philosopher Lee McIntyre aptly notes: “The truth isn’t dying – it’s being killed.”

The goal is clear: to create groups in society that unquestioningly accept an authoritarian leader’s word. In this way, opinions are no longer based on facts but rooted in identity. Disinformation becomes a potent political weapon, making voters believe falsehoods while distrusting – even hating – those who don’t. Mr Musk values the power to shape belief systems to enable pliable governance. Politicians who refuse to align with his agenda can be discarded, as he bets his followers will support whichever candidate he endorses. The Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, has learned this the hard way, and the Tories’ Kemi Badenoch risks repeating the same error.

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