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After Musk’s controversial comments and the endorsement of antisemitic content on his social media platform, X, a number of advertisers decided to flee the platform. The situation escalated on Saturday, November 18th, when Elon Musk threatened to sue Media Matters, a media watchdog group, and all those who criticized X for promoting antisemitism.
Since Musk acquired X (formerly known as Twitter) in 2022, the platform has faced significant scrutiny due to the proliferation of hateful and racist content. Musk’s endorsement of a post falsely claiming that Jewish communities were spreading hatred among white people further ignited the controversy. The post also referenced a conspiracy theory that alleged Jews encouraged the arrival of people of color in Western nations, a theory that has been linked to the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting where 11 people were killed.
After the progressive non-governmental organization Media Matters for America published an article exposing major brands like Apple, Bravo, Oracle, Xfinity, and IBM having their ads appear next to pro-Nazi messages on X, the advertisers quickly distanced themselves from the platform. The article shed light on the concerning issue and pressured these companies to take action.
Musk, in response to the article, took to his social network to criticize Media Matters, referring to them as a “nefarious organization.” Simultaneously, 164 Jewish leaders, including rabbis, artists, and academics, representing various ideologies, released a statement condemning antisemitism on X and accused Musk of promoting it. They called on these large corporations to collaborate and fund movements against antisemitism.
IBM promptly announced it would suspend its advertising on X while conducting an investigation into the situation. Lionsgate, another major advertiser, followed suit and suspended its ads as well. The European Commission (EC) also expressed concern about the potential misinformation on X and requested its services to halt advertising campaigns on the platform.
Musk intensified the situation by stating that X Corp would take “thermonuclear action” against Media Matters and those involved in what he considered a fraudulent attack on his company. This led to even more major advertisers, including Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast, Lions Gate Entertainment, and Paramount Global, deciding to cease their advertisements on X. Apple, the world’s largest company by market capitalization, followed suit shortly after.
In response to the backlash, Musk issued a communication where he accused Media Matters of misrepresenting the true X experience to undermine free speech and mislead advertisers. He claimed that Media Matters had set up a separate account to deceive advertisers about the platform’s content.
Civil liberties organizations reported that since Musk’s acquisition of X and the subsequent reduction in content moderation, hate speech has increased, and advertisers have been fleeing the platform. The situation reached the White House, which condemned Musk’s endorsement of the antisemitic conspiracy theory. They accused him of promoting abhorrent antisemitic practices and racist hatred that contradict fundamental American values.
It is important to note that Elon Musk is also the CEO of Tesla, an electric vehicle manufacturer that has faced numerous legal proceedings regarding allegations of racism and unprovoked physical and sexual assaults on employees.
Considering the recent rise in global antisemitism, including in the United States, where anti-Semitic incidents surged by over 400% after the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the controversy surrounding Elon Musk’s promotion of hate speech and conspiracies has sparked significant outrage and concern among the public and various organizations.
