It is summer 2027. Rioting breaks out in British cities after a man is killed by the police during a protest against immigration. On X there are a flood of posts urging people to attack police stations and calls for the chief of a local force to be lynched.
Ofcom, having repeatedly warned X about its duty under the Online Safety Act to stop incitements to violence, fines the social media platform $500 million, ten per cent of its worldwide turnover.
Elon Musk, X’s owner, refuses to pay. A few days later President Trump announces a 50 per cent tariff on all imports from the United Kingdom. Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley cut production, Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems issue profit warnings and distilleries across Scotland