By Kate Nicholson

Copyright huffingtonpost

Elon Musk must be held “criminally liable” for the harm his online platform imposes on children, Ed Davey has said.

The Liberal Democrat leader has opened his annual party conference by urging the government to stand up to Musk, the richest man in the world and owner of the social media platform X.

Musk, Donald Trump’s closest adviser until earlier this year, has made a point of attacking Britain ever since Labour was elected, accusing it of not honouring free speech and calling for the government to be overthrown.

Last week, he appeared via video link to encourage those attending far-right activist Tommy Robinson’s free speech march that “violence is coming” and people had to “fight back or you die”.

Davey said it was time to act, telling Sky News this morning that he sees Musk as a criminal – and that if he comes to the UK, he should be arrested.

The MP for Kingston and Surbiton said: “Not just because of the awful things he’s done in inciting violence, and, for example, he says a civil war in our country is inevitable, that our democratically elected government should be overthrown.

“They were bad enough. But on his platform, they’re examples of adverse, pushing people on self-harm, on grooming, even selling videos showing paedophile acts, of child sex abuse acts and I think he should be held to account for them, him personally and his business.

“Ofcom now has the powers under the Online Safety Act.”

That law makes social media directors liable for criminal prosecution if it is breached.

In his speech at the Lib Dem conference on Tuesday, Davey is also expected to say: “We know why Elon Musk is so keen to meddle in our democracy. It’s not because he cares about the British people, and our rights and our freedoms. It’s all about his ego, power and wealth.

“He rails against the Online Safety Act, but not because he cares about free speech. Like so many on the far-right – or the far-left – Elon Musk doesn’t really believe in free speech. He just believes in free speech for people who agree with him.”

“It’s because he wants to carry on running his social media platform without taking any responsibility for the terrible harm it is causing – especially to our children.”

Davey said X – formerly Twitter – has become much more dangerous since Musk’s takeover, where he slashed the platform’s child-safety teams.

“Promoting self-harm, grooming and sexual exploitation – all happening on Elon Musk’s watch. No wonder he wants to get rid of the laws to tackle it,” Davey said.

“The UK must stand up to Elon Musk and properly enforce our laws so he can’t get away with inflicting harm on our kids,” he said.

He also announced a parliamentary motion to call for Musk to be summoned to the bar of the Commons to be reprimanded or admonished – although the last time someone who was not an MP was summoned was back in 1957.

Davey is no stranger to attacking Musk. In February, he called for the US ambassador to be summoned to ask why Musk – then an incoming official – had suggested the UK government is removed.

Musk called Davey a “snivelling cretin” in response.