Since Elon Musk took over as CEO of Twitter, he has made several controversial decisions that have raised concerns about his approach to content moderation and the platform’s policies. One recent issue involves his response to a nonprofit organization called the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which has accused Musk of allowing hate speech to thrive on Twitter.
In a letter sent by X Corp., the parent company of Twitter, on July 20, Musk’s legal team threatened legal action against CCDH for making what they called “troubling and baseless claims” about Twitter’s handling of hate speech. The research conducted by CCDH claimed that Twitter fails to take action on 99% of hate speech posted by Twitter Blue subscribers, suggesting that the company allows them to break its rules with impunity. The organization also blamed Musk for allowing hate to prosper on the platform and criticized the advertisers who continue to support Twitter despite these issues.
In response, Alex Spiro, a lawyer for X Corp., dismissed CCDH’s research as “inflammatory, misleading, and unsupported claims” based on a cursory review of random tweets. He accused the organization of having an ulterior agenda at the direction of X Corp.’s commercial competitors and government entities. Spiro claimed that CCDH’s actions violated the Lanham Act, a federal trademark law that allows companies to sue for false statements.
CCDH, which focuses on studying hate speech and misinformation on social media platforms, denied accepting funds from Twitter’s competitors or government entities. The organization has published critical articles about other platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. CCDH emphasized that the legal threat was an attempt to intimidate Musk’s critics and highlighted Twitter’s own efforts to curtail research and analysis on the platform.
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This conflict between X Corp. and CCDH comes at a time when Twitter is facing significant challenges. Musk recently disclosed that the platform has negative cash flow due to a 50% drop in ad revenue and a heavy debt load. Advertisers are becoming increasingly concerned about content moderation issues on Twitter, including the verification system that allows users to buy a verified check mark. Linda Yaccarino, NBCUniversal’s head of ad sales, has been named Twitter’s chief executive in an effort to address these concerns.
X Corp. took issue with CCDH’s research methodology, claiming that it provided no explanations for tweet selection, Twitter’s enforcement time frame, or why the chosen tweets represented an appropriate sample of the platform’s content moderation practices. In response, CCDH stated that there was no bona fide legal grievance and accused X Corp. of attempting to silence honest criticism.
Yale management professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, an expert in corporate leadership, commented on Musk’s approach, saying that it could lead to “value-destroying” business decisions. He noted that advertisers are not returning to Twitter due to concerns about content moderation.
In recent news, X Corp. reinstated the account of Kanye West, although ads will not appear next to his posts. The rapper was suspended in December for posting an image that combined a swastika with a star of David and making offensive remarks. The account of former President Donald Trump was also reinstated under Musk’s approach to content moderation, which emphasizes compliance with laws rather than proactive action.
One example that caused controversy was the quick reinstatement of a popular right-wing account known for spreading conspiracy theories after it posted a screenshot of a video depicting child sexual abuse. Musk defended the decision but called for clearer explanations for suspensions and easier ways to appeal.
The clash between X Corp. and CCDH highlights the ongoing challenges that Twitter faces in addressing hate speech and ensuring responsible content moderation. The outcome of this conflict will have implications for the future of the platform and its ability to regain advertisers’ trust.
