X Corp., the parent company of the once-renowned social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, has taken legal action against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organization focused on monitoring hate speech and disinformation. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco federal court, accuses CCDH of conducting a “scare campaign” aimed at driving advertisers away from the X platform. CCDH had published research reports claiming that the social media service failed to address hateful posts. This platform is currently owned by tech mogul Elon Musk.
According to X Corp.’s lawyers, CCDH allegedly engaged in unlawful acts to gain unauthorized access to protected X Corp. data. They accused CCDH of cherry-picking posts to falsely claim that the platform is inundated with harmful content. The lawsuit brings forth multiple allegations, including breach of contract, violation of federal computer fraud law, intentional interference with contractual relations, and inducing breach of contract. X Corp.’s legal team has demanded a jury trial.
The legal action followed a letter sent by Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, to CCDH on July 20, indicating that X Corp. was investigating whether CCDH’s claims about Twitter constituted a violation of federal law. In response, CCDH’s founder and chief executive, Imran Ahmed, criticized Musk, asserting that the lawsuit is an authoritarian attempt to silence critics.
The research report that sparked controversy accused the platform of failing to take action against 99% of the 100 flagged posts, which contained racist, homophobic, and antisemitic content, according to CCDH staff members.
Musk’s ownership of Twitter has faced intense scrutiny, as he has been criticized for loosening content restrictions on the platform. Business analysts have also expressed concerns about his seemingly impulsive decision-making.
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Musk, known for his occasional posting of inflammatory content on Twitter, has defended his actions as protecting “free speech” and aims to transform Twitter into a “digital town square.” He has also claimed that hate speech on the platform has been decreasing, citing internal data in a tweet on Nov. 23.