NEWS  News  November 21, 2023  Reading time: 2 Minute(s)

Max (RS editor)

Elon Musk's social media platform X has launched - as previously announced by Musk himself - a legal onslaught against left-leaning watchdog Media Matters for America. The lawsuit, filed in Texas, alleges that the advocacy group "manipulated" data in a deliberate effort to "destroy" X. 

Media Matters ignited the controversy by claiming that X allowed antisemitic posts to coexist with advertisements, prompting major firms such as Apple, Disney, IBM, and Comcast to suspend their ads on the platform. X's legal action contends that Media Matters engaged in a calculated strategy, manufacturing images juxtaposing advertisers' posts with Neo-Nazi and white-nationalist content to drive companies away from the platform. Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, emphatically stated:

"Not a single authentic user on X saw IBM's, Comcast's, or Oracle's ads next to the content in Media Matters' article."

 X CEO LINDA YACCARINO [Image by ComCast] 

The fallout has been swift, with the European Commission, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, and Lionsgate also withdrawing ad support from X. In response to the impending lawsuit, Media Matters labeled Musk a "bully", asserting that he seeks to silence accurate reporting. Angelo Carusone, the president of Media Matters, confidently declared they would prevail in any legal action. Meanwhile, Elon Musk faced separate accusations of amplifying an antisemitic trope on X, further intensifying the controversy. Despite Musk denying antisemitism and clarifying his remarks, the backlash continues.

Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has entered the fray, announcing an investigation into Media Matters for "potential fraudulent activity". Paxton characterized the liberal group as a "radical anti-free speech organization" and pledged to safeguard public discourse from left-wing organizations aiming to stifle freedom. As the legal battle unfolds, the White House announced President Joe Biden's entry into Threads, the Meta-owned rival to X, adding a new dimension to the evolving landscape of social media competition.