stopthatgirl7Jul 31, 2023

Musk threatens to sue researchers who documented the rise in hateful tweets

A nonprofit organization that researches links between social media, hate and extremism has been threatened with a lawsuit by X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-lawsuit-cchd-twitter-x-hate-speech-extremism-434a80631f9e76833ee30387c04dd290

Musk threatens to sue researchers who documented the rise in hateful tweets

A nonprofit organization that researches links between social media, hate and extremism has been threatened with a lawsuit by X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. An attorney for the platform recently wrote to the Center for Countering Digital Hate accusing the group of trying to hurt the site's advertising. The center has published numerous research reports documenting an increase in hate speech on the platform since it was purchased last year by Elon Musk. The center says Musk is trying to silence his critics, despite his claims to support free speech.

AP News
Show threadXeeleeAug 1, 2023
They published those lawyers' letters, both from Muskiboi and the answer. Pretty entertaining read, actually.
Show threadDinsmoreAug 1, 2023
Could you link those? I’d like to read them!
Show threadXeeleeAug 1, 2023
here you go
Letters from the lawyers: Musk threatens CCDH with brazen attempt to silence honest criticism. — Center for Countering Digital Hate | CCDH

Elon Musk’s lawyers are threatening the Center for Countering Digital Hate with legal action for exposing Twitter’s failure to tackle hate speech. Here’s CCDH’s response.

Center for Countering Digital Hate | CCDH
Show threadTyler_Zoro

Looking over their concerns, I’m not sure that they have a leg to stand on. The claim they’re making is that they’ve measured an increase in hate-related tweets (I’ll take them at their word on this) and then they associate this with Musk taking over.

They present no evidence for this later claim and do not, as far as I can see, make any attempt to compare against increases in hate among other social media platforms.

Grooming, for example, is one topic they covered. But this is a topic that Republicans have been pushing increasingly as election season spins up. Musk didn’t cause that, and that kind of nonsense can be found on Facebook and reddit as well.

I’m inclined to sympathize with an underdog nonprofit, but in this case I just can’t see why they expected not to get pushback on such poorly grounded claims

Aug 1, 2023 at 5:32pmWeb