Elon Musk tears into BBC reporter in explosive row over misinformation

Twitter CEO Elon Musk has accused the BBC of sharing Covid “misinformation” about mask-wearing and vaccine side effects. In an interview with BBC North America tech reporter James Clayton, the South African-born billionaire was asked why Twitter had stopped taking action against tweets breaching its rules on Covid misinformation.

Defending the decision to remove warning labels last November, Musk said Covid is “no longer an issue”, hitting back at the interviewer by accusing the BBC of previously pumping out Covid misinformation itself.

He said: “What about the BBC’s misinformation about Covid?

“Does the BBC hold itself at all responsible for misinformation regarding masking and side effects of vaccinations? And not reporting on that at all?

”And what about the fact that the BBC was put under pressure by the British Government to change the editorial policy, were you aware of that?”

The BBC journalist then moved the interview on to “talk about something else”.

Musk has also agreed to change the BBC’s Twitter label, which currently describes the licence-fee supported broadcaster “government-funded media”.

U-turning, the 51-year-old conceded in the same interview at Twitter HQ that he would change its labelling after the organisation objected to the classification it was given.

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Musk said: “Our goal was simply to be as truthful and accurate as possible so I think we are adjusting the labelling to be publicly funding which I think is not too objectionable. We are trying to be accurate.”

He later added: “If we use the same words that the BBC uses to describe itself, that presumably would be ok…it seems to pass a reasonable test.”

It comes after the broadcaster shut down the description in a statement.

Referring to the label on its main account, the BBC said: “The BBC is, and always has been, independent.

“We are funded by the British public through the licence fee.”

The label linked through to a page on Twitter’s help centre which classes “state-affiliated media” as outlets where the Government “exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution”.

But the BBC prides itself in its impartiality standard and operates through a Royal Charter agreed with Government, stating that it “must be independent”.

The BBC is partly funded through the TV licence fee that Britons pay to access it.

Musk said he had the “utmost respect” for the organisation

He told a BBC reporter in an email exchange that “all organisations have bias”, but he added the BBC “is among the least biased”.

He said: “We are aiming for maximum transparency and accuracy. Linking to ownership and source of funds probably makes

“I do think media organizations should be self-aware and not falsely claim the complete absence of bias,” the Tesla CEO said.

“All organizations have bias, some obviously much more than others. I should note that I follow BBC News on Twitter, because I think it is among the least biased.”

Musk bought Twitter for $44bn (£35.4bn) fee last October.

Express.co.uk has approached the BBC for comment.

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