Key takeaways:
- Elon Musk has threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for purportedly accusing X of antisemitism and fueling advertisers’ exodus.
- The ADL had previously warned that changes to X would lead to an increase in harassment and hate speech.
- A campaign called #BanTheADL has been gaining traction on X, calling for a boycott of the ADL and its supporters.
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, has threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for purportedly accusing the social platform of antisemitism and fueling advertisers’ exodus from the site.
In a post on Monday, Musk said X has “no choice” but to file a defamation lawsuit against the ADL due to a slump in advertising revenue. He claimed that the tech giant’s advertising revenue was down 60% in the U.S. since his formal takeover of the platform in October of 2022.
The ADL had previously warned that changes to X, including an amnesty program for suspended accounts, would lead to an increase in harassment and hate speech. Musk has enacted dramatic changes to limit features, paywall others and promote the site as a new bastion for free speech.
The ADL responded to Musk’s threat, saying in a statement that it “will not be intimidated or silenced in our work to fight hate and bigotry.” The organization added that it is “committed to speaking out against the dangerous and reckless spread of hate and disinformation online.”
Musk’s threats to sue the ADL come after a campaign called #BanTheADL, which has been gaining traction on X. The campaign calls for a boycott of the ADL and its supporters, claiming that the organization is “silencing free speech.” It remains to be seen whether Musk will follow through on his threat to sue the ADL.
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