Tech mogul Elon Musk has set his sights on an unexpected legal battle, this time with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The conflict revolves around Musk’s role in the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and accusations of promoting hate speech.
The dispute came to light when Musk took to X to accuse the ADL of attempting to damage the platform and his reputation, as per a report from Axios. In a post, he claimed that the nonprofit had falsely labeled him and X as anti-Semitic. He attributed a drop in advertising revenue on the platform to their alleged actions. Musk further asserted that U.S. advertising revenue had declined by 60% due to pressure on advertisers imposed by the ADL. In a subsequent post, Musk clarified his stance, declaring that he supports free speech but is firmly against any form of anti-Semitism.
Has anti-semitism gone up?
The Anti-Defamation League had previously published a report in May, which identified over 5,000 instances of virulent anti-Semitism originating from 2,173 accounts on Twitter. These occurrences followed the reinstatement of banned accounts on the platform, a move championed by Musk, who has advocated for free speech on social media.
Will Musk ban ADL from X?
Meanwhile, in response to a campaign aimed at banning the ADL from X, Musk suggested running a poll on the matter, indicating his willingness to consider such a step. It is worth noting that X has filed a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate, accusing the nonprofit of making false claims regarding a surge in bigoted speech on the platform since Musk’s takeover in October.
An ADL spokesperson declined to comment on the legal threats, stating that the organization refrains from addressing such matters as a matter of policy. However, the spokesperson did address the coordinated efforts to remove the ADL from X, characterizing them as consistent with previous attacks on the organization by various fringe groups.
The unfolding legal battle between Elon Musk, the ADL, and X underscores the complexities surrounding free speech, hate speech, and content moderation in the digital age, highlighting the challenges faced by social media platforms and advocacy groups alike.