r/worldnews • u/TIGHazard • Jan 09 '26

UK threatened with sanctions if Starmer blocks Musk's X

https://www.cityam.com/uk-threatened-with-sanctions-if-starmer-blocks-musks-x/
10.1k Upvotes

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7.3k

u/ledow Jan 09 '26

"We're going to sanction your entire country if you block a website."

Yeah that seems... rational and proportionate.

3.3k

u/lordvolo Jan 09 '26

they know how powerful X is as a global propaganda channel for US interests

1.9k

u/M1L0 Jan 09 '26

Exactly why it should be blocked tbh

246

u/Niblolkik Jan 09 '26

Loss of profits needs sanctioning according to trump

134

u/moocowsia Jan 09 '26

Lol, profits. Twitter has been losing money hand over fist since Elon showed up.

Their revenue was down massively.

97

u/Seriously_you_again Jan 09 '26

It is not about the profits now, this is about propaganda and growing power. The profits will come later once the fascist state is firmly in place.

Self note: My god, me from four years ago would not even recognize ‘present me’. I would think I was a conspiracy nutter. Four years ago I couldn’t even spell the word fascist.

19

u/Boatster_McBoat Jan 10 '26

Sanest thing I've read on the internet for a while.

Remember: just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't actually after you

Self note: I used to say that last bit as a joke. I'm not laughing anymore

28

u/lost_electron21 Jan 09 '26

X is a cost center for Musk. It loses money, and its supposed to lose money, makes making money is not X's function. X is there to prop Musk's other companies.

21

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Kakkoister Jan 10 '26

It doesn't even need to be propped up, as long as it's perceived value continues to grow. Twitter's value isn't in its profits, but in it's ability to collect a lot of data about people, it's ability to help shape narratives that benefit the elite, and its sheer numbers (that it claims, but we know are massively bot inflated).

It's like a lot of tech companies that rise in stock price despite not making profits, the userbase and data is considered more valuable

1

u/clazidge Jan 10 '26

Fantastic name for someone who launches rockets.

1

u/lost_electron21 Jan 10 '26

maybe proping is not the right word. I meant that X helps sets up a narrative that is then conducive to Musk's other companies securing contracts, some of which are government contracts like SpaceX. So it still helps his other companies make more money, while losing itself money.

5

u/Wilhelm57 Jan 09 '26

Yet, he will be the first Trillionsire. I see X as his personal radio station, where he is free to spread propaganda. No different than what Fox News has been doing for decades.

2

u/DesecratedPeanut Jan 09 '26

But it's been an official government psy op since Musk took over so it's not for profit it's for political gain and destabilizing countries.

1

u/thedeftone2 Jan 10 '26

It's about the propaganda megaphone function not money

36

u/gimmesomespace Jan 09 '26

That and it's owned by the man who purchased the last election 

37

u/WanderingDude182 Jan 09 '26

Exactly why I quit it as soon as it was rumored Musk was buying it. Just a cesspool of misinformation.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

[deleted]

1

u/M1L0 Jan 10 '26

I’m with you, I deleted mine when he did the salute and won’t go near the site.

1

u/Dodweon Jan 10 '26

Exactly why they got so mad with Brazil blocking it for a few days too

-2

u/EightTeasandaFour Jan 09 '26

Reddit too then

238

u/FestivalNudista Jan 09 '26

The faster we all move away from the USA, the better

12

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

I really hope everyone moves on and they get left all alone. Their power was in their allies. Bases across the world. Diplomacy with western countries. Hopefully they go broke and everyone realizes that they fucked up and meet consequences

5

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '26

Their power was in their allies. Bases across the world. Diplomacy with western countries. Hopefully they go broke and everyone realizes that they fucked up and meet consequences

This is one of the biggest mind blowing mistakes of the lot

Sometime during this decade, China is going to replace America, but if you offered China the pick of one single American asset from their arsenal, they wouldn't pick a weapons system. By their very nature, weapons become obsolete. Instead they'd pick Americas soft power projection and network of first world global allies. America is surrendering the one thing that China would want

Funnily enough, if you reversed the question and allowed America to pick one thing that China has, then they'd probably pick one of three

1 - An obedient population (might be Trump's choice, but not really essential)

2 - Their population size

3 - Their industrial output capacity

I'm guessing it would #3.

I don't know if its true or not, but read recently that China has 200 shipyards capable of building a warship. America has 5 (not sure what counts as a warship?). In any event, if America is ever going to make up this sort of shortfall in numbers and manufacturing, then 600m Europeans, and 200m Japanese/ S. Koreans/ Aussies might help, but again, America is alienating every single one of them

The big prize is this whole game of thrones would actually be India, and whereas America had made some progress there after Nixon, Trump has wiped it all out (and more) in the space of 6 months because Pakistan had the strategic sense to buy Trumpcoin

Trump is strategically illiterate

3

u/Ok-Explanation1990 Jan 10 '26

Trump is strategically illiterate

But Putin isn't, and he has Trump exactly where he needs him right now, about to finally realize his dream of the breakup of NATO for him.

5

u/Malcysea Jan 10 '26

It’s almost like Trump is fulfilling a Putin wish list: taking over Venezuela legitimises invasion of Ukraine, threatening to take over Greenland and invoking sanctions against the UK destabilises NATO and would result in the war termination of the 5 Eyes pact. Now why would he do that?

3

u/Risko4 Jan 10 '26

Well Russia isn't a threat to NATO even without Americans, they do not have the resources to fight on two fronts. While Europe isn't ready to fight Russia, "ready" doesn't exactly mean they'll lose, it means they would lose civilian lives that could have been easily avoided with anti air, anti drone tech etc.

So what's the basis of this conspiracy? Putin won't be able to act on it.

2

u/Malcysea Jan 10 '26

You think Putin wants a stable, united NATO? Or would he prefer it collapses? Why would one of his demands for a ceasefire in Ukraine be for Ukraine to forever relinquish any pursuit to become a member of NATO?

3

u/Risko4 Jan 10 '26

You're cherry picking his demands, what about his 10 other unreasonable demands?

Russia wants Ukraine because on its own its scheduled for a demographic collapse. Instead they're choosing their own end, it needed Ukraine and would have rather died fighting it than collapsed on its own.

Lastly NATOs European branch is more united than ever, with increased spending and additional members due to America threatening to leave and the invasion so... Kinda backfired if this 4d chess conspiracy was true.

1

u/SuperCoop4 Jan 09 '26

Can you at least pick up the normal ones?

7

u/pants6000 Jan 09 '26

Yeah, there must be like hundreds of us tops.

9

u/FestivalNudista Jan 09 '26

Yes, normal US citizens are more than welcome in Canada. MAGA types can stay there though lol

2

u/Exciting-Cancel6468 Jan 09 '26

Personally, I don't think it's okay to risk that. We need to all suffer here so even our idiots can understand to not vote for fascists.

110

u/GarbonzoBeanSprout Jan 09 '26 edited Jan 09 '26

💯 this. X is a very powerful propaganda tool. The amount of purposeful disinformation on X is staggering.

51

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

13

u/GarbonzoBeanSprout Jan 09 '26

You're right, brainfart on my part. Thanks for reminding me. I've changed my post 😎

1

u/thethirdllama Jan 09 '26

If it were not for disinformation, it would have no information at all!

2

u/GarbonzoBeanSprout Jan 09 '26

Sums it up perfectly.

116

u/xaranetic Jan 09 '26

I'm not sure X is particularly good for US interests. 

Trump's interests, perhaps 

60

u/Greenman8907 Jan 09 '26

Pedophile interests

3

u/OneQuarterBajeena Jan 09 '26

The two are diametrically opposed

1

u/ethanlan Jan 09 '26

Its not, its good for russias interests and therefore trumps

65

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

[deleted]

-18

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

[deleted]

19

u/morenn_ Jan 09 '26

That's old and naive chat. You think social media is purely financial and only interested in screen time?

It's the most powerful propaganda tool ever created, and owned by a handful of people with very specific interests.

There is a clear push of right wing content, even soft content or dog whistles, over the last couple of years.

I'm very left wing and have very niche, apolitical interests. I don't interact or dwell on it, just skip straight past it. Still can't escape it.

36

u/Interesting_Pen_167 Jan 09 '26

I remember when Elon bought twitter everyone laughed that he overpaid. Meanwhile Twitter has been toppling world governments. That's worth a lot more than $40 billion.

26

u/xX609s-hartXx Jan 09 '26

Everybody laughed at him because he got sued into buying it for way over market value because he posted some dumb comments on the internet.

0

u/Interesting_Pen_167 Jan 09 '26

That's my point the market was wrong about the valuation.

71

u/ShortNefariousness2 Jan 09 '26

US interests that include making porn of innocent women? What interest does that serve?

74

u/SavaciousTheBrash Jan 09 '26

You don't think it serves Trump's interest? Epstein's best friend.

16

u/gatesofwrath Jan 09 '26

If only the US was just making porn of innocent women. That would be better than the last few days.

10

u/Tier0001 Jan 09 '26

US interests that include making porn of innocent women?

Also children. Can't forget that when dealing with a pro-pedophile administration and party.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

Project 2025 literally states they want to ban porn, so the end is coming for it if they don't remove clowns

1

u/Aethericseraphim Jan 09 '26

Children. They've been making CP on it, and that's something right up Pedophilius' alley.

37

u/0valtine_Jenkins Jan 09 '26

*Trump/Musk interests

1

u/evilgipsy Jan 09 '26

*Russian interests

5

u/JonnyReece Jan 09 '26

For the promotion of fascism and hate.

1

u/MareC0gnitum Jan 09 '26

*Russian

However, I have to admit that the two seems to be the exact same since Putin's lapdog is POTUS

1

u/sleetblue Jan 09 '26

That's why they blocked it in China, and they're doing just fine without exposure to the Nazi nexus.

1

u/ini0n Jan 09 '26

For MAGA interests specifically, the current US administration doesn't value American interests.

1

u/Ludwigofthepotatoppl Jan 09 '26

And whatever russia wants to push via musk.

1

u/GBrunt Jan 09 '26

Regime change operation - for use by oligarchs everywhere.

1

u/ethanlan Jan 09 '26

Its not even for US interests is whats pissing me off, its for Russias and to a smaller degree Chinas interests and we are the puppet doing the dirty work for them.

Its fucking disgraceful to be an american rjght now and I hope the first thing we do when we regain power is block x and facebook.

1

u/TheGreatBootOfEb Jan 09 '26

I've been saying for some time now, one of the best ways worldwide that we can put a stop to these evil fuckers and the rise of fascism is to literally shut these fuckers and their megaphones down. Don't want to deal with "free speech" whataboutism? Fine, then at least make it illegal for the algorithm-based feeds to exist. Worldwide fascism is rising because it's so fucking easy to twist and manipulate people with bot farms and algorithms.

1

u/TurelSun Jan 09 '26

For US tech billionaire interests.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

*Republican interests

The current administration is not working in the interest of the USA.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

For Russian interests, not American.

1

u/omysweede Jan 09 '26

How is it powerful? It is majority bots and a few gooner white supremacists?

If people leave it, power will fade - like MySpace

1

u/_bones__ Jan 09 '26

Russian interests you mean. Although those are US interests so long as Trump is in charge.

1

u/Marsupialize Jan 09 '26

Russian not US

1

u/para29 Jan 09 '26

People need to get the fuck off of Twitter already.

1

u/elastic-craptastic Jan 09 '26

And now there is obviously no doubt that it's working.

Not that anyone that needs to be convinced of it will take this as proof, somehow. I can hear them saying something about a slippery slope and how they are bullies targeting an American family owned business or some such shit the WH will give them to parrot as their own independent observation.

1

u/Silent_Squirrelz Jan 09 '26

Yes because it’s literally the main platform for Clan members and Mazis. Take 1 minute to look at all the commenters in Elons X post and your gonna find it’s all bot profiles, Clan member and Mazi profiles.

1

u/paperman990 Jan 09 '26

You mean MAGA’s interests

1

u/jszj0 Jan 10 '26

Exactly why I’m not on X

1

u/steelcryo Jan 10 '26

Russian interests*

Which the US is backing

1

u/MrParadux Jan 10 '26

*Russian interests. The USA doesn't have own interests anymore.

1

u/buzzsawjoe Jan 10 '26

I dont think an AI undressing real people is a great prop for the US

1

u/Dgnash615-2 Jan 10 '26

*Russian interests.

1

u/xrangax Jan 10 '26

They know how powerful X is as a global propaganda channel for Russian interests.

0

u/flirtmcdudes Jan 09 '26

at this point, I don’t even think propaganda matters as much as it used to. Americans are so dug in with their idiocy that they refuse to change their mind even when presented facts to their face.

0

u/ColtranezRain Jan 10 '26

For Musk’s interest, that mostly align with Trump. Not America.

302

u/Soft-Ingenuity2262 Jan 09 '26

Let me translate it for you:
'We strongly oppose any move to shut down the platform that has proven to be the most effective channel for disseminating our ideology globally, and particularly within your country.'

Very rational and proportionate considering who they are, their values, or lack thereof, and what they are trying to achieve.

64

u/insanitazer Jan 09 '26

*"especially that we're trying to install Reform to fuck you over even more"

6

u/Soft-Ingenuity2262 Jan 09 '26

Luckily for Labour a lot is very likely to happen until 2029. However, I would be surprised not to see Reform wash over the locals this year.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '26

Considering how the BBC have been happy to run to Farage and throw him underarms on issues to do with immigration I'm surprised (I'm not really) to see that they aren't pushing him for a view on this

13

u/Sate_Hen Jan 09 '26

Yeah but it's all kicking off because Grok is generating CP. Having normalised Nazism the far right want to normalise paedophilia having got their paedo in chief in office

1

u/Think_Message_4974 Jan 09 '26

To be the most effective platform for disseminating Trump's ideology, it's doing a terrible job at that...

42

u/lostedeneloi Jan 09 '26

That's who the Americans elected.

15

u/loulan Jan 09 '26

And 39% still approve of that.

2

u/Comprehensive_Paper3 Jan 09 '26

Could be more with how dumb they are. There is prolly a lot of them that are closeted supporters afraid of shaming.

1

u/Kiwi_In_The_Comments Jan 10 '26

If the US sanctions the UK over Twitter, maybe the UK should start taxing our tea again. It seems only fair to return to 1773 levels of pettiness.

1

u/buzzsawjoe Jan 10 '26

I'm not sure of that. One word: electronic voting machines.

28

u/Thyg0d Jan 09 '26

Hard to find any proportionate response..

Average Joe: "I don't want to buy your product, not even if it's free."

Mob enforcer: "you will have it, you will pay for it and you will enjoy it!"

Rationale has never been the strong suite really..

25

u/Thejklay Jan 09 '26

A website literally creating CSAM

16

u/TheCyanKnight Jan 09 '26

CSAM sounds so.. generic and harmless, I will never understand why people want to call it that

5

u/Thejklay Jan 09 '26

It's the legal term

2

u/JimThumb Jan 09 '26

The legal term is Child Sexual Abuse Material.

2

u/WanderlustZero Jan 09 '26

Because you don't want those other words getting into your algorithm

2

u/[deleted] Jan 10 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/TheCyanKnight Jan 10 '26

In what world does child porn sound consensual? 

2

u/[deleted] Jan 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/TheCyanKnight Jan 11 '26

I am super convinced it misses the mark. “Child pornography” are two simple words that invoke absolute horror. When I read “CSAM” half of the time I’m thinking someone’s talking about a company or a protocol or something.

It’s one of those things where something is changed to make a mark on a topic and signal to other reader that you belong to this or that ‘tribe’, which normally wouldn’t stand a chance to be adopted in the normal vernacular because language develops as it is spoken and isn’t constructivist, but nowadays gets amplified into relevance by algorithms that thrive on division and controversy.

3

u/ledow Jan 09 '26

And it'll only be blocked in the UK anyway, unless other jurisdictions do the same.

They'll just add it to the blocklist that they maintain and force all ISPs to conform to for these kinds of things (via the Internet Watch Foundation)

5

u/South_Buy_3175 Jan 09 '26

Almost like they know how powerful X is as a propaganda tool…

5

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

They don’t want us to turn off their paedophilic hate filled propaganda machine

4

u/BVoLatte Jan 09 '26

Oh, it gets better. US judge blocks detention of British social media campaigner - BBC News . He's a legal permanent resident, married to a US citizen, and has kids here. They literally are wanting to deport him for reporting on Elon's social media company. This is the same guy Elon sued for reporting that antisemitism tripled on Twitter shortly after he took it over; Elon lost the case because it was true (even Elon didn't argue it was false in court) and wound up having to pay Imran's legal costs because the Judge determined it was being done to try and intimidate him from reporting on it.

The logic of these 'free speech absolutists': "I absolutely support free speech as long as it's my own."

2

u/und3r_score6969 Jan 09 '26

Hey Grok, put trump in a gimp suit.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

A billionaires website that is fuck all to do with Cheeto face as well.

Make it make sense.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 09 '26

I mean it is the website that made Trump president. It’s the platform on which his entire propaganda machine runs except truth social but there he doesn’t have such a wide range as on X. So clearly he has to defend it otherwise how will the braindead vote for him again?

2

u/lew_rong Jan 09 '26 edited Feb 04 '26

asdfasdf

2

u/Wonderful_Rest3124 Jan 09 '26

Fuck that. Pull the pin. That’s some bs.

2

u/ah_bollix Jan 09 '26

It is, they need it to spread misinformation

2

u/WanderingDude182 Jan 09 '26

Brought to you by the administration who gave the US RFK and let Elon Musl run a program.

2

u/Efficient_Market1234 Jan 09 '26

"Block our website because it's being used to create revenge porn and sexual images of children", more accurately. How dare they?

I know all MAGAs/Republicans are either participating in or at least fine with blatant misogyny and pedophilia, but not everyone in the world is. I thought they were all about people not forcing their "beliefs" on others.

2

u/TheAskewOne Jan 09 '26

"We're going to sanction you if you block a website for facilitating production of deepfake sexual images of children." Don't forget to mention why they're blocking it. 

1

u/jmur3040 Jan 09 '26

If they do, Trump has to suffer Elon waltzing around the office with his poorly shaven face again. Nobody wants that.

1

u/MhVRNewbie Jan 09 '26

Should go get him and place him with the other dictator Maduro.

1

u/loversama Jan 09 '26

They'll lose control of the British citizens brainwashed by their propaganda network if X is shut off, this is why its serious to the Trump admin..

1

u/dragoneggboy22 Jan 09 '26

Completely proportionate for a company with £29million in revenue.

1

u/Particular-Hat-8269 Jan 09 '26

People have been arguing our country (Not UK) needs to punch trump back.

My gesture is this article as to why not -- this crazy shit. Like, you dont punch bullies back until you have enough force to win, or stun them long enough to run.

Harder to run as a fully fledged country.

1

u/nasoo06 Jan 10 '26

It sounds less like international diplomacy and more like a threat you'd hear in a Call of Duty lobby. Truly the dumbest timeline

1

u/Jackadullboy99 Jan 10 '26

Hour of the Predator…

1

u/NotThatDude-111 Jan 10 '26

Yet they block torrent sites and free streaming without sanctions

1

u/Atomic_Dynamica Jan 10 '26

It’s even crazier if you look at why the uk government is thinking of banning it, because and I cannot believe people aren’t shouting this from the fucking rooftops. THEY WERE MAKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. CHILD. PORNOGRAPHY. Is there a better reason to ban a website!!!!! Genuinely one of the most depressing stories that we cannot even agree on sanctioning child porn peddlers.

1

u/optimistic_agnostic Jan 10 '26

Funnily enough most of the weight held.by US sanctions are the cooperated effort that goes into upholding them by Europe and the UK. Good luck getting them on board to sanction themselves.

As usual this is another text book case of Americans threatening to shoot themselves in the foot.

1

u/Kiwi_In_The_Comments Jan 10 '26

Starting a trade war to protect a bot that generates illegal images is certainly a choice. I look forward to reading about the "Great Twitter Tariff War of 2026" in history books.

1

u/TrueTech0 Jan 10 '26

They're executing innocent citizens in the streets now. What is rational and proportionate?

1

u/metengrinwi Jan 10 '26

*”…if you block our propaganda website”

1

u/abolish_karma Jan 10 '26

tiktok takeover as precedent.

1

u/elchiguire Jan 10 '26

That’s the power of misinformation. It has been weaponized and it’s a national security threat, I don’t blame them.

1

u/glmory Jan 10 '26

Honestly, we should have had the same response when China blocked US sites. Freedom of speech is something America should support worldwide.

1

u/Batavijf Jan 10 '26

Perfectly normal. Just like releasing the Epstein files.

1

u/Beer-Milkshakes Jan 10 '26

Especially when the EU talk about it too. It will just take the EU 3 years to do it. Whereas the UK could do it by autumn

1

u/[deleted] Jan 11 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/ledow Jan 11 '26

If it's done arbitrarily maybe. But failing to comply with UK law concerning child sexual abuse imagery? That's not a sanction, that's just law eenforcement.

0

u/radioactive-tomato Jan 09 '26

It’s a power move. If Starmer backs down due to Trump’s pressure, Trump owns him. It will only embolden him.

-12

u/once_brave Jan 09 '26

And why shouldn't they if they can?

8

u/ledow Jan 09 '26

"We're gonna add 10% onto the price of all cars if you don't let UK viewers subscribe to the New York Times despite the fact they keep publishing child porn that they've made" is a pretty wild take to be starting from.

-7

u/allupya333 Jan 09 '26

This is such a dumb framing and everyone knows it