X Company Threatens to Prosecute Organizations Researching Hate Speech Data: Harmful Platform Business Platform | Hate | Data
Recently, X company threatened to sue researchers from the Anti Digital Hate Center because their research shows that the social media platform has seen an increase in hate speech since its acquisition by SpaceX founder Elon Musk last year. X company claims that relevant researchers are attempting to harm X's business.
According to Al Jazeera on July 31, lawyer Alex Spiro, representing X, wrote a letter to the non-profit organization Anti Digital Hate Center on July 20, threatening to take legal action against the organization's research on hate speech and content. The organization has offices in the United States and the United Kingdom and regularly publishes reports on hate speech, extremism, and harmful behavior on social media platforms such as X, TikTok, and Facebook. The organization has also repeatedly criticized Musk's leadership, detailing the increase in hate speech and misinformation against LGBTQ on Twitter since its acquisition.
Spiro cited a June report from the organization in his letter, which stated that X failed to delete Nazi and anti LGBTQ content posted by users. He questioned the professional knowledge of the researchers in the letter, accusing the center of attempting to damage X's reputation. Spiro also hinted in the letter that the center has obtained funding from some of X's competitors.
Spiro stated that the center's research findings aim to "drive advertisers away from the Twitter platform through inflammatory remarks, thereby damaging Twitter's business."
He said that under normal circumstances, the criticism targets of the center will defend their work or promise to solve any problems.
He is also concerned that other companies may use this strategy. "This is an unprecedented action by social media companies against independent researchers. Musk is publicly declaring war," Ahmed said. "If Musk successfully defeats us, other researchers will be the next target."
The threat of X's lawsuit has raised concerns among California Democrat and U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff. He stated that Musk attempted to threaten a non-profit organization that held social media accountable through legal action. "Instead of attacking them, it's better to attack the increasingly unsettling content on Twitter," Schiff said in a statement