Elon Musk’s social media platform reached an agreement with Britain’s communications regulator to accelerate moderation of content deemed illegal under UK law.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Elon Musk’s social media platform X has agreed to strengthen enforcement against content classified as illegal hate speech under British law as part of a new arrangement with the United Kingdom’s communications regulator, Ofcom.
According to a report from The Telegraph, the agreement commits X to significantly faster review and removal timelines for posts involving antisemitism, racism, and potential terrorist-related material.
Under the arrangement, X will aim to review flagged content within 24 hours of identification and maintain a minimum target of assessing and removing at least 85% of hateful or antisemitic posts within 48 hours.
The company also pledged to intensify enforcement against accounts operated by organizations banned under British law.
The agreement marks a notable development in the relationship between X and Ofcom following prolonged disputes over online speech regulation since Musk acquired the platform in 2022.
Oliver Griffiths, Ofcom’s online safety director, said the regulator continues to monitor large social media platforms for compliance with the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act.
“We have evidence that terrorist content and illegal hate speech is persisting on some of the largest social media sites,” Griffiths said. “We are challenging them to tackle the problem and expect them to take firm action.”
Griffiths also referenced recent incidents involving antisemitic crimes in Britain while discussing the urgency of enforcement efforts.
The agreement follows months of friction between X and British regulators over the scope of government authority over online speech.
Last year, X publicly criticized Ofcom’s enforcement posture surrounding the Online Safety Act, accusing the regulator of taking a “heavy-handed approach” and arguing that some regulatory demands threatened free speech protections.
Since Musk’s purchase of the company formerly known as Twitter, X has adopted a moderation philosophy described internally as “freedom of speech, not freedom of reach.”
The platform loosened a number of previous moderation restrictions after the acquisition, restoring thousands of suspended accounts that had previously been removed for alleged hate speech or policy violations.
Ofcom is also separately investigating X over the spread of non-consensual deepfake imagery involving women and children that circulated on the platform earlier this year.
The Online Safety Act, which expanded the British government’s regulatory oversight over online platforms, requires technology companies operating in the United Kingdom to remove certain categories of illegal content or face potential financial penalties.
The agreement with Ofcom signals that X is now moving toward stricter compliance with British speech regulations despite earlier resistance from the company regarding government involvement in online content moderation.
Additional details about the agreement were reported by The Telegraph.
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