X Corp, previously known as Twitter, is set to file a lawsuit against Media Matters and those who launched an attack on the social media platform, according to Elon Musk. The announcement comes shortly after several major US companies paused their advertisements on the site.
In a post on X, Musk stated, “The moment the court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and all those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company,” without specifically naming any other parties involved.
Media Matters for America, a liberal media watchdog group, recently reported that corporate advertisements from IBM, Apple, Oracle, and Comcast’s Xfinity were being placed alongside antisemitic content. In response, IBM immediately suspended all advertising on Musk-owned X after it was discovered that their ads were appearing next to content promoting Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
On Friday, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Comcast, Lions Gate Entertainment, and Paramount Global also announced that they would be pausing their ads on X. Additionally, Axios reported that Apple would follow suit.
Earlier this week, Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on X, falsely claiming that members of the Jewish community were stoking hatred against white people.
Musk’s statement posted on X said, “This week Media Matters for America posted a story that completely misrepresented the real experience on X, in another attempt to undermine freedom of speech and mislead advertisers. Media Matters created an alternate account and curated the posts and advertising appearing on the account’s timeline to misinform advertisers about the placement of their posts.”
Media Matters has yet to respond to a request for comment outside of business hours.
Civil rights groups have reported a surge in hate speech on X since Musk purchased the platform in October 2022 and reduced content moderation. This has led to advertisers fleeing the site.
The White House condemned Musk’s endorsement of an “hideous” antisemitic conspiracy theory on X, calling it an “abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate” that goes against American values. The statement referred to the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Israel, which was one of the deadliest days for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
(Reporting by Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Tomasz Janowski, Kirsten Donovan)
