ZDF Removes Content After Musk's Legal Challenge
German public broadcaster ZDF has retracted a portion of a news segment that inaccurately linked tech billionaire Elon Musk to calls for the hunting of migrants in Northern Ireland. ZDF acknowledged that its phrasing was "misleading," while Musk stated that "legal action is being taken against ZDF for their outrageous lies."
Context of the Controversy
The controversy arose amidst recent unrest in Belfast, which followed a severe knife attack in the northern part of the city. A Sudanese man was arrested and subsequently charged with attempted murder in connection with the incident, which left the victim seriously injured and resulted in the loss of an eye. This event sparked disorder in Belfast, leading to instances of arson targeting homes and vehicles. The situation garnered significant international attention, including in Germany, where migration is a contentious issue.
On Friday, June 12, a presenter introduced an edition of the news magazine program ZDFheute Live, titled "How Musk is fuelling the protests." The now-removed introduction claimed: "A brutal attempted murder on a public street in Belfast. Someone takes a video which goes viral. Following that, a racist mob is hunting migrants. The call for that came from a British right-wing extremist and tech billionaire Elon Musk."
Musk's Response and ZDF's Correction
The segment referenced posts on Musk's social media platform X by British activist Tommy Robinson, who had shared protest plans on June 9. Robinson's post stated, "the whole of the United Kingdom is hitting the streets tonight at 7pm following yet another invader attack on our people." Musk had quoted this post, adding, "Only by protesting REPEATEDLY and LOUDLY will there be any change!!"
Musk announced his intention to pursue legal action after the ZDF broadcast was highlighted by German journalist Julian Reichelt. In a statement on Tuesday, ZDF confirmed to the BBC that Elon Musk had, through a German law firm, demanded a "cease and desist" declaration. A spokesperson for the broadcaster stated, "ZDF issued the declaration and removed the passage in question from the introduction. ZDF had already added a corrective transparency notice to the broadcast on Saturday." Prior to the complete removal of the introduction, ZDF had issued a clarification, noting that the wording had been "imprecise and therefore misleading," and clarified that "Tommy Robinson called for protests after the knife attack in Belfast. The post was shared by Elon Musk."
Broader Accusations Against Musk
Musk, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX and has over 240 million followers on X, has previously faced accusations of leveraging his extensive social media reach to escalate tensions or disseminate misinformation. Recently, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer accused him of attempting to "whip up division" concerning the death of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old student. Following the Belfast attack, Musk vehemently denied allegations that social media had exacerbated tensions, asserting on June 10 that "murderous migrants" targeting innocent people were "making people angry, not 'social media'!" The US-based Centre for Countering Digital Hate has claimed that social media played a "significant role" in fueling the violence in Belfast and alleged that Musk "amplified anti-migrant narratives" promoted by others, extending their reach to millions of users.
Source: German broadcaster removes TV intro after Elon Musk takes legal action
