BBC director general Tim Davie has said he will not remove the broadcaster from Elon Musk's social media platform X, arguing its presence is vital to combat a 'flood' of global misinformation. Appearing before MPs, Davie acknowledged pressure to withdraw from the platform amid complaints it has shifted to the right under Musk's ownership and faced backlash over AI-generated explicit images.
Davie told the Commons public accounts committee that the BBC needed to reach vulnerable young audiences worldwide, as state actors like China and Iran 'flood the zone' with disinformation. 'I have quite a lot of pressure to remove the BBC from X,' he said. 'By the way, that is not what I'll be doing because we need to be on these platforms.' He noted that 16- to 34-year-olds remain a key demographic for the BBC.
The comments come as former transport secretary Louise Haigh called on the government and public bodies to leave X, citing 'unconscionable' child sexual abuse material. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also criticised the platform, asking Ofcom to consider 'all options' in dealing with it. The Commons women and equalities committee has stopped using X after its Grok AI tool generated digitally altered nude images.
Davie warned that disinformation is 'utterly rife' as Russia, China and Iran spend billions on media to promote geopolitical goals. The BBC is pushing for tens of millions of pounds in extra investment for the World Service, which has already cut over 100 jobs. Jonathan Munro, interim head of BBC News, said the world had entered the 'space between peace and war', making reliable information crucial.
Fiona Crack, controller of the World Service, revealed that a fifth of its language services face 'hostile interference' from state actors, including internet throttling. Davie resigned as director general in November 2024 but remains in post until a successor is appointed.
