Elon Musk’s X Takes Legal Action Against Center for Countering Digital Hate for Twitter Criticism
Elon Musk’s X Corp. has filed a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), accusing the nonprofit watchdog of unlawfully accessing data to launch a smear campaign aimed at scaring advertisers away from Musk’s company. In response, the CCDH argues that Musk is trying to stifle criticism and hinder research into hate and misinformation on his social media platform.
The X platform, formerly known as Twitter, is framing the legal dispute as a battle for free speech, while the center sees it as a defense of hate speech.
In a blog post, X stated, “The Center for Countering Digital Hate and its backers have actively spread false and misleading claims, encouraging advertisers to pause investments on the platform. X is a free public service funded largely by advertisers.”
X’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that the CCDH breached its contract with the social media platform, violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and intentionally interfered with contracts. The lawsuit asserts that the center is conducting a “scare campaign” to drive advertisers away from X by illegally gaining access to protected X Corp. data and making false claims about the platform’s content.
The CCDH has responded to the lawsuit on its website and on X, sharing news articles about the threatened litigation as evidence that Elon Musk wants to silence the organization. The center stated, “We won’t let arrogant billionaires bully us.”
The center claims it received a letter threatening legal action last week due to its efforts in exposing hate and misinformation on Twitter since Musk’s takeover. They accuse Musk of trying to silence criticism and independent research in order to salvage his relationship with advertisers.
The CCDH alleges that hate and disinformation have surged on Twitter since Musk’s involvement and has launched a #StopToxicTwitter campaign calling on big brands to boycott the platform.
X’s lawsuit contends that the center’s campaign has been successful in convincing some companies to pause their advertising spend on X, resulting in significant financial damage.
Unique Perspective: The legal battle between Elon Musk’s X Corp. and the Center for Countering Digital Hate underlines the ongoing tensions surrounding free speech on social media platforms. While X frames the legal action as defending free speech, the CCDH argues that it aims to combat hate speech and misinformation. This case highlights the challenges faced by social media companies in managing content and the potential consequences in terms of reputation and advertising revenue when conflicts arise.
