Elon Musk has announced that X, formerly known as Twitter, intends to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for defamation.
He alleges that the ADL wrongly branded him and X as antisemitic. Taking to the platform, Musk tweeted: “To defend our platform against accusations of anti-Semitism, we seemingly must initiate a defamation case against the Anti-Defamation League. Oh, the irony!”
Musk also held the ADL responsible for a significant drop in X’s US advertising revenue, stating, “Our US ad revenue has declined by 60%, largely due to the ADL pressurizing advertisers. They nearly succeeded in sinking X/Twitter!”
The entrepreneur emphasized his stance on being pro-free speech and strictly against antisemitism. This declaration followed his recent controversy, where he was seen engaging with the hashtag #BanTheADL on X.
This hashtag gained momentum shortly after ADL reported having constructive discussions with X CEO Linda Yaccarino regarding curbing hate speech.
Musk further tweeted, “Since acquiring the platform, the ADL has aimed to discredit it and me by making unfounded antisemitism claims. If such accusations persist, we’ll inevitably have to sue the ‘Anti-Defamation’ League.”
Antisemitic issues on Twitter aren’t novel. In 2016, the ADL highlighted an uptick in antisemitic content against journalists, partly influenced by the 2016 US elections. Following Musk’s acquisition, hate speech allegations have surged.
Earlier this year, a lawsuit filed in Germany accused X of inadequately addressing Holocaust denial content. Subsequently, Germany hinted at fining the platform for not adhering to its hate speech regulations.
Musk himself faced criticism for seemingly endorsing antisemitic theories, particularly after targeting Jewish billionaire George Soros and interacting with problematic content on X.
In a specific instance in June, Musk responded to an antisemitic tweet, which has since been removed.
