The image was faked to look like it had come from the Daily Telegraph website.

Elon Musk has deleted an image he shared on X, formerly Twitter, which promoted a conspiracy theory about the UK building “detainment camps” on the Falkland Islands for rioters.

The image - which was faked to look like it had come from the Daily Telegraph website - had been posted by the co-leader of the far-right Britain First party, Ashlea Simon, though it had appeared elsewhere before she shared it.

Mr Musk’s post was viewed more than 1.7 million times before it was removed - with Ms Simon’s post briefly tagged with a note reading “this story does not exist” before it too was removed.

It is the latest in a series of controversial interventions from the tech billionaire since the unrest began, some of which have been directly condemned by the prime minister.

  • Carrolade@lemmy.worldEnglish
    411·
    4 months ago

    I think they find these things so believable and worth sharing because it’s the sort of thing they’d actually do if given the opportunity.

    • Zetta@mander.xyzEnglish
      6·
      4 months ago

      While it is completely possible musk believes things like this. I still mostly think he just wants to pander to his primary audience and doesn’t mind spreading things he knows aren’t true.