Elon Musk, the owner of X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, tweeted that the main goal of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an anti-hate speech campaign group, is censoring public dialogue.
What Happened: The CCDH has accused Musk’s X Corp of intimidation following a legal threat over the organization’s research into hate speech on the social media platform. The group has been investigating the platform’s content since Musk’s acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion last year, claiming a rise in hateful material.
Following this, Musk has hit back at CCDH with a letter through his legal team accusing them of posting "inflammatory, outrageous, and false or misleading assertions about Twitter." The letter also warned them of potential legal action.
In an exchange on X, a user by the name ALX posted a screenshot of an article by USA Today. The headline read ”Elon Musk, X Corp. threatens lawsuit against anti-hate speech group.”
Musk responded saying, “[Alx] you can tell it's propaganda when they choose terms that are impossible to invert. Who is "PRO" hate speech!? 🤣 Their actual goals have nothing to do with hate speech and everything to do with censorship of public dialogue.”
Why It Matters: Musk’s tweet and the legal threat from X Corp highlight a growing tension between the tech mogul’s commitment to free speech and the concerns raised by watchdog groups over the handling of hate speech on the platform. In June, Musk’s promises of restoring free speech on the platform were questioned when an Australian watchdog reported a surge in online hate. In July, Musk’s Twitter, now called "X," touted a decline in hate speech, but users demanded further clarification and transparency.
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