MPs should ‘question consciences’ on using X, says campaigner sanctioned by US

An anti-disinformation campaigner facing deportation from the US has said politicians using Elon Musk’s X should “question their conscience”.

Imran Ahmed, executive director of the Center to Counter Digital Hate (CCDH), was sanctioned by Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday, with officials accusing him of trying to “censor” social media platforms such as X, formerly Twitter.

On Friday, Mr Ahmed said the influence of big tech firms, including Mr Musk’s platform, was behind his bid to remove him from the US, where he is a legal permanent resident.

Speaking to the Press Association, Trump said the sanctions were “essentially a story about the corrupting influence of big tech and big money in Washington.”

He called tech firms “arrogant,” “indifferent to the harm they cause,” and “sociopathic in their greed.”

Asked whether UK politicians should continue to use X, he told PA: “Politicians have to decide for themselves, but every time they post on

Mr Ahmed, a former Labor Party adviser, has previously found himself at odds with big tech and, in particular, Mr Musk, who unsuccessfully sued CCDH last year over allegations of an increase in hate speech and disinformation on its website.

The campaigner said this was to “make the case that he was one of the first and loudest to celebrate Mr. Musk’s press release” announcing the sanctions against him.

He told PA: “He said it was great and it was great but not for the reasons he thought.

“Because what it actually did was give the system a chance to show that our advocacy is both important and protected by the first amendment.”

Mr Ahmed is one of five Europeans, including Clare Melford, managing director of the UK-based Global Disinformation Index, who have been banned from visas by the US over allegations of “censorship”.

Mr. Ahmed, a green card holder, is a legal permanent resident of the United States, where he lives with his American wife and child.

But sanctions mean that status could be revoked, leaving him vulnerable to deportation.

After being subjected to sanctions, Mr Ahmed obtained a court order preventing his arrest or deportation ahead of a December 29 hearing at which his legal complaint against the sanctions will be considered.

Mr Ahmed told PA he had “full faith in the system” to protect his rights and was looking forward to the hearing.

His lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, said the speed with which the temporary court order was issued showed that it was “clear” that the U.S. government’s actions were “clearly unconstitutional.”

He said: “Americans should be grateful for our customers’ courageous work to combat antisemitism and racism, as well as their efforts to harm young children on social media.

“The federal government cannot deport a green card holder like Imran Ahmed, who has a wife and young American child, just because they don’t like what he has to say.”

The Trump administration has signaled that the sanctions could potentially be followed by other actions targeting serving politicians or officials.

Other Europeans subject to travel bans included Thierry Breton, the former EU commissioner responsible for overseeing social media rules, and Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of the German organization HateAid.

Announcing the sanctions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the group of leading “efforts to force American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose.”

Sarah Rogers, the US undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, said Mr Ahmed was sanctioned because he was a “key collaborator” in the Joe Biden administration’s efforts to “weaponize the government” against US citizens.

He said the CCDH had called on social media sites to “de-platform” anti-vaccine campaigners – including current health secretary Robert F. Kennedy – and supported measures “to expand censorship” around the world, including the UK’s Online Safety Act.

Mr Ahmed has links to senior figures in the Labor Party, having been an adviser to current Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn when she was shadow foreign secretary.

Morgan McSweeney, Sir Keir Starmer’s private secretary, was listed as a director at CCDH before resigning in April 2020, Companies House records show.

A UK Government spokesman said: “While each country has the right to set its own visa rules, we support the laws and bodies working to keep the internet free of the most harmful content.”