ZDF Removes Content After Legal Challenge
German public broadcaster ZDF has retracted a portion of a news report following a legal challenge from tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The removed segment had suggested that Musk had called for the hunting of migrants in Northern Ireland, a claim ZDF later acknowledged as "misleading." Musk stated that "legal action is being taken against ZDF for their outrageous lies."
Context of the Controversy
The controversy emerged in the wake of violence 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 unrest, including arson attacks on homes and vehicles, drawing international attention, particularly in Germany, where migration is a sensitive political issue.
On June 12, a ZDFheute Live program about the Belfast violence, titled "How Musk is fuelling the protests," featured an introduction that has since been removed. The presenter stated: "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 Broadcaster's Concession
The broadcast linked Musk to a post by British far-right activist Tommy Robinson on Musk's social media platform X. Robinson had shared plans for protests on June 9, claiming that "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!!" However, Robinson denied calling for riots.
Musk's decision to pursue legal action was prompted by a German journalist, Julian Reichelt, highlighting the ZDF broadcast. ZDF confirmed to the BBC that Musk had demanded a "cease and desist" declaration via a German law firm. A spokesperson for the broadcaster stated, "ZDF issued the declaration and removed the passage in question from the introduction." They added that a corrective transparency notice had already been appended to the broadcast on Saturday, and before full removal, ZDF had issued a clarification that its wording was "imprecise and therefore misleading."
Broader Implications and Previous Accusations
Musk, who also owns Tesla and SpaceX and commands a massive following on X, has previously faced accusations of using his platform 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 in Southampton. Following the Belfast attack, Musk vehemently denied that social media was fueling tensions, attributing anger to "murderous migrants" targeting innocent people rather than social media itself.
The US-based Centre for Countering Digital Hate recently asserted that social media played a "significant role" in contributing to the violence in Belfast, alleging that Musk had "amplified anti-migrant narratives" and expanded their reach to millions of users.
Source: German broadcaster removes TV intro after Elon Musk takes legal action