Elon Musk’s X threatens to sue nonprofit that tracks hate speech: ‘Driving advertisers away’

X, the social media platform previously referred to as Twitter, has threatened to sue a bunch of unbiased researchers whose analysis documented a rise in hate speech on the location because it was bought final yr by Elon Musk.

An legal professional representing the social media website wrote to the Middle for Countering Digital Hate on July 20 threatening authorized motion over the nonprofit’s analysis into hate speech and content material moderation. The letter alleged that CCDH’s analysis publications appear meant “to hurt Twitter’s enterprise by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.”

Musk is a self-professed free speech absolutist who has welcomed again white supremacists and election deniers to the platform, which he renamed X earlier this month. However the billionaire has at instances confirmed delicate about vital speech directed at him or his corporations.

The middle is a nonprofit with workplaces within the US and United Kingdom. It usually publishes experiences on hate speech, extremism or dangerous habits on social media platforms like X, TikTok or Fb.

The group has revealed several reports critical of Musk’s leadership, detailing a rise in anti-LGBTQ hate speech in addition to climate misinformation since his buy. The letter from X’s legal professional cited one particular report from June that discovered the platform did not take away neo-Nazi and anti-LGBTQ content material from verified customers that violated the platform’s guidelines.

Within the letter, legal professional Alex Spiro questioned the experience of the researchers and accused the middle of attempting to hurt X’s status. The letter additionally urged, with out proof, that the middle obtained funds from a few of X’s rivals, regardless that the middle has additionally revealed vital experiences about TikTok, Fb and different giant platforms.

“CCDH intends to hurt Twitter’s enterprise by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims,” Spiro wrote, utilizing the platform’s former title.

Imran Ahmed, the middle’s founder and CEO, informed the AP on Monday that his group has by no means obtained an analogous response from any tech firm, regardless of a historical past of finding out the connection between social media, hate speech and extremism. He mentioned that sometimes, the targets of the middle’s criticism have responded by defending their work or promising to handle any issues which were recognized.

Ahmed mentioned he anxious X’s response to the middle’s work might have a chilling impact if it frightens different researchers away from finding out the platform. He mentioned he additionally anxious that different industries might pay attention to the technique.

“That is an unprecedented escalation by a social media firm towards unbiased researchers. Musk has simply declared open warfare,” Ahmed informed the Related Press. “If Musk succeeds in silencing us, different researchers might be subsequent in line.”

Messages left with Spiro and X weren’t instantly returned Monday.

It’s not the primary time that Musk has fired again at critics. Final yr, he suspended the accounts of several journalists who lined his takeover of Twitter. One other person was permanently banned for using publicly available flight data to trace Musk’s personal aircraft; Musk had initially pledged to maintain the person on the platform however later modified his thoughts, citing his private security. He additionally threatened to sue the person.

He initially had promised that he would enable any speech on his platform that wasn’t unlawful. “I hope that even my worst critics stay on Twitter, as a result of that’s what free speech means,” Musk wrote in a tweet last year.

X’s latest menace of a lawsuit prompted concern from Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who mentioned the billionaire was attempting to make use of the specter of authorized motion to punish a nonprofit group attempting to carry a strong social media platform accountable.

“As an alternative of attacking them, he needs to be attacking the more and more disturbing content material on Twitter,” Schiff mentioned in an announcement.