A federal judge dismissed Elon Musk's X Corp's lawsuit against the non-profit organization Center for Countering Digital Hate, which has been monitoring the rise in hate speech on the platform since its acquisition by the Tesla CEO.
X, previously recognized as Twitter, alleged that the center's researchers violated the platform's terms of service by illicitly gathering public tweets. This resulted in a surge of hate speech that caused X to suffer significant financial losses as advertisers withdrew their support.
Judge Dismissing the CCDH Lawsuit
On Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer dismissed the lawsuit, stating in his order that its sole purpose was to punish the non-profit for its speech.
X had accused the non-profit of scraping its website for data, violating its terms of service. However, the judge determined that X did not demonstrate any financial losses resulting from this activity.
X had pursued millions of dollars in damages, contending that the reports from the non-profit caused advertisers to leave and resulted in a decline in ad revenue. However, the judge concurred with CCDH's assertion, stating that X cannot claim damages for the actions of third parties based on CCDH's reports or speech.
The CCDH Non-Profit Center
The non-profit center, with branches in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, frequently releases reports on hate speech, extremism, or harmful conduct on social media platforms such as X, TikTok, and Facebook. It has issued numerous reports criticizing Musk's leadership, highlighting an increase in anti-LGBTQ hate speech and climate misinformation since his acquisition.
X has disagreed with the court's decision and intends to appeal.
Holding Social Media Companies Accountable
Imran Ahmed, the center's founder and CEO, characterized the lawsuit as a "hypocritical campaign of harassment" orchestrated by a billionaire who espouses the importance of free speech but attempts to silence critics using his wealth. Ahmed emphasized the necessity of a federal law mandating tech companies to disclose more information about their operations, enabling the public to comprehend the influence of these influential platforms on society.
Ahmed hoped this significant ruling would empower global public-interest researchers to persist and enhance their essential efforts to hold social media companies accountable for the hate speech, disinformation, and resulting harm they facilitate. The center's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, remarked that the dismissal of X's lawsuit demonstrates that even the wealthiest individual cannot manipulate the legal system to their advantage.
In an email to reporters, Kaplan emphasized the prevalence of bullies in the current era, attributing much of their influence to social media. She commended the Center for Countering Digital Hate for its bravery in confronting these bullies and "We are proud and honored to represent CCDH."
Musk's Companies Involvement with Hateful Content
Since Musk acquired X in October 2022, multiple entities have highlighted the increased hateful content on the platform. In November of that year, major advertisers like IBM, NBCUniversal, and Comcast halted advertising on X after a report from Media Matters revealed their ads appearing alongside Nazi-related content. This development posed another challenge for X as it endeavors to regain the trust of prominent brands and their advertising investments, which constitute its primary revenue stream. Additionally, X has initiated legal action against Media Matters.
In a subsequent response to advertisers who ceased spending on X due to the presence of antisemitic and other hateful content, Musk launched into a profanity-laced tirade, accusing them of blackmail and essentially instructing them to leave.
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