U.K. Committee Summons Elon Musk To Discuss Twitter & Free Speech

Billionaire Elon Musk began Twitter's largest shareholder early last Month. New developments about his involvement in the company made headlines every few days, which culminated in Musk and the Twitter board of directors reaching an agreement for Musk to buy the social media company for $44 billion dollars.

During a talk at a TED conference earlier this year, Musk talked about the importance of free speech to a "healthy democracy." It seems one committee in the U.K. is curious how he will balance his commitment to maintaining free speech on his new social media service.

The news was first reported by Deadline, which noted that the UK’s influential Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport Committee called on the SpaceX founder to attend a hearing. They want to know how Musk plans to “balance his clear commitment to free speech with new obligations to protect Twitter’s users from online harms.”

Musk is not required to attend, but he has been asked to “discuss [his] proposals more in-depth” in front of the committee, which consists of cross-party representatives.

The letter was sent from DCMS chair Julian Knight, who said that the committee was interested in Musk’s plan to “roll out verification for all users.” Knight is responding to calls to the government “that we hope will restore the UK public’s trust in digital platforms.”

In a statement, Knight wrote, “I know you have expressed your wish that critics remain on Twitter and this may present an opportunity to address any critiques in public. I look forward to hearing your response and discussing your plans for the future of Twitter in Committee in the near future.”

Late last year, the committee also interviewed Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. They called on Meta CEO and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for a joint hearing with Canada’s Standing Committee on Access to  Information, Privacy, and Ethics to discuss fake news. However, Zuckerberg chose not to attend the meeting.

Later in the day, Deadline also reported that BBC has greenlit a documentary series about Elon Musk from producer 72 Films.

BBC Two’s “The Elon Musk Show,” which is said to be the series’ working title, is planned to air later this year. It is reported to cover the rise of the world’s richest man in a three-part documentary series, which will include his recent Twitter acquisition.

72 Films have reportedly interviewed family members, close friends, and business associates of the Tesla CEO to tell an “intimate story” of his path to success. The production company has produced several high-quality documentaries in the past, including BBC’s “Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty” and “The Trump Show.”

BBC Commissioning Editor Simon Young called Musk “one of the most enigmatic and intriguing people in the world.” In a separate statement, the directors said, “There is no getting away from Elon Musk. It’s always exciting to be documenting the biggest stories of the day, and our series will go inside Elon’s inner circle, examining the billionaire’s incredible rise and the truth behind this modern icon.”