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A media monitoring organization has labeled Elon Musk as a “bully” after he declared his intention to sue them with a “thermonuclear lawsuit” over a dispute regarding antisemitism on the platform.
The organization Media Matters for America reported this week that they had discovered advertisements for major corporations such as IBM, Apple, Oracle, and Comcast’s Xfinity were appearing next to antisemitic content on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
After the analysis, several major companies such as Disney, Apple, and IBM decided to halt their advertising on the platform.
Responding on Saturday to the departure of advertisers on the platform, Mr. Musk published a statement in which he stated: “Numerous major advertisers are the biggest suppressors of your freedom of speech.”
In a subsequent statement, the chief executive of Tesla announced, “As soon as the court opens on Monday, X Corp plans to initiate a legal action against Media Matters and anyone who conspired in this deceitful assault on our business.”
Media Matters responded to Mr Musk’s threat on Saturday, saying: “Far from the free speech advocate he claims to be, Musk is a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits in an attempt to silence reporting that he even confirmed is accurate.
“Musk acknowledged that the advertisements in question were displayed alongside the identified pro-Nazi material. If he were to take legal action against us, we are confident in our ability to prevail.”
In a particular instance, a post was shared stating that Hitler and the Nazis symbolized a “spiritual revival,” and it was displayed directly above an advertisement for Apple’s Mac computers.
This week, Mr. Musk has faced accusations of promoting antisemitism for his reaction to a social media user who seemed to endorse the “great replacement” conspiracy theory on X.
The user known as X stated that Jewish communities have been promoting the same type of divisive animosity towards white individuals that they condemn and want to eradicate. This belief was one of the hateful ideologies cited by the perpetrator of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people and is considered the most deadly antisemitic attack in American history.
Mr. Musk responded to the post on his X platform, stating “You have spoken the real truth.”
Elon Musk faced backlash for seemingly endorsing an anti-Semitic statement.
IBM announced on Thursday that they have halted all advertisements on X as they investigate an entirely unacceptable situation.
According to a representative from Apple who spoke to Axios, the company is following suit, and a spokesperson from Lions Gate Entertainment verified that they are also participating in the departure. Additionally, Disney has reportedly halted funding for X, according to The New York Times.
Media Matters conducted a study that found a post promoting the idea that Hitler and the Nazis were a symbol of spiritual enlightenment was shown directly above an advertisement for Apple’s Mac computers.
In September, Mr. Musk also stated his intention to take legal action against the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that works to combat antisemitism and other forms of extremism, accusing them of attempting to harm his platform by labeling it as antisemitic.
“I want to make it very clear that I support free speech, but I am opposed to any type of antisemitism,” he stated.
The White House also chimed in, denouncing Mr Musk for promoting “abhorrent” ideas of anti-Semitism and racial hate.
The White House released a statement condemning the repetition of a terrible lie, which is considered the worst act of antisemitism in American history. This is especially unacceptable given that it occurred just one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish community since the Holocaust.
Source: independent.co.uk
