After acquiring Twitter for $44 billion last year, Elon Musk is now being accused of hypocrisy for claiming that he’s a “free-speech absolutist” while simultaneously asserting that he has “no other option” but to take legal action against the Anti-Defamation League for calling out his decision to reinstate accounts previously banned for hate speech.
The ADL warned about a surge in antisemitic content on the platform after his acquisition, and what they consider lax moderation policies.
Since Musk’s acquisition, the company’s value has significantly declined, with Musk attributing most of the revenue loss to the ADL in a statement on Monday. He also claimed that the organization’s “unfounded accusations” have deterred advertisers, though he noted that ad revenue in Asia remains strong.
Furthermore, Musk suggested that Tucker Carlson might join his lawsuit, as the ADL had previously pressured Fox News advertisers during Carlson’s tenure on the right-wing cable network.
Musk has also initiated legal action against the Center for Countering Digital Hate after the watchdog reported an increase in hate speech on his platform.
While Musk’s latest legal threats garnered support from his followers, including some white nationalist and antisemitic accounts, he also faced substantial criticism. Many pointed out the irony of a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” suing those who criticized him.
Check some of the highlights below.
What a weak, weak man. His “free speech absolutist” platform is so fragile the mere presence of the ADL is too threatening – apparently his revenue model counts on unfettered anti-Semitism. pic.twitter.com/eyxlP8kAiG
— VOTE 🇺🇸 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊 (@CommittoVote) September 5, 2023
I’m a free speech absolutist but if I don’t like your speech I’m going to sue you and if my business partners don’t like it you may be put to death.
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) September 4, 2023
Bullshit. You’ve given Nazis free reign on this platform. Billionaire Rating 0/10 @elonmusk https://t.co/oAw902XD2e
— Room Rater (@ratemyskyperoom) September 4, 2023
if i wanted to “clear our platforms name of anti semitism” i would simply rid the platform i own of nazi propagandists rather than interacting with and promoting them
— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) September 5, 2023
The free speech absolutist is suing the Anti-Defamation League for defamation.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 5, 2023
Have fun in discovery, moron. Ask your lawyers what – in legal terms – Oscar Wilde taught them https://t.co/z9xbr0GVGZ
— Keith Olbermann⌚️ (@KeithOlbermann) September 4, 2023
I love the implication that the erratic management, mass layoffs, incoherent moderation, destruction of verification, decimated engineering staff, serial unbanning of racists, and crumbling infrastructure had nothing to do with twitter losing half its value. Nope, just Jews. pic.twitter.com/zW4fFAQASb
— Mike Rothschild (no relation) (@rothschildmd) September 5, 2023
Can't help feeling there's a better way… like ummm maybe banning Nazis? https://t.co/m3aO75bHHU
— John Barron (@JohnBarronUSA) September 5, 2023
first thing this guy did was let all the banned neo-nazis back on here but ok! https://t.co/jfyPGIovg9
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) September 4, 2023
Elon, you have given both neo-Nazis and terror-supporting islamists free reign on your platform, which is now overrun with antisemites and trolls of the ugliest variety, and now you’re trying to shoot the messenger. I suspect ADL will clean your clock in court. https://t.co/8I57FL261K
— Jaime Kirzner-Roberts (@jaimekr) September 5, 2023
That's not irony, Elon – it's you finding yet another way of implying that Jews are behind all your problems, and by extension everybody else's. Bet the new blue checks are lapping this up. Stop this now. https://t.co/R6B8vlwMgz
— Michael Marshall Smith (@ememess) September 5, 2023
1. Buy Twitter.
2. Reinstate all the Nazis they’d banned.
3. Ban people who fight Nazis.
4. Prioritize racist shit into everyone’s feed.
5. Write checks out of advertisers’ earnings to the most hateful people on earth, incentivizing more hate.
6. Sue people who point this out. https://t.co/T1fSfWbLs1— Damion Schubert – @ZenOfDesign.com on bsky (@ZenOfDesign) September 5, 2023
