Media watchdog hits again at ‘bully’ Elon Musk after he threatens ‘themonuclear lawsuit’

A media watchdog has branded Elon Musk a “bully” after he vowed to file a “thermonuclear lawsuit” in opposition to them in a row about antisemitism on the platform.

Watchdog group Media Issues for America mentioned earlier this week that it had discovered that company ads for IBM, Apple, Oracle and Comcast’s Xfinity had been being positioned alongside antisemitic content material on X, previously often called Twitter.

The evaluation prompted a sequence of main firms – together with Disney, Apple and IBM – to droop their promoting on the platform.

Hitting again on Saturday on the exodus of advertisers on the platform, Mr Musk wrote a put up by which he mentioned: “Most of the largest advertisers are the best oppressors of your proper to free speech.”

The Tesla founder added in a second put up: “The cut up second courtroom opens on Monday, X Corp can be submitting a thermonuclear lawsuit in opposition to Media Issues and all those that colluded on this fraudulent assault on our firm.”

Media Issues responded to Mr Musk’s risk on Saturday, saying: “Removed from the free speech advocate he claims to be, Musk is a bully who threatens meritless lawsuits in an try to silence reporting that he even confirmed is correct.

“Musk admitted the advertisements at concern ran alongside the pro-Nazi content material we recognized. If he does sue us, we are going to win.”

In a single instance, a put up claiming Hitler and the Nazis represented a “religious awakening” appeared proper above an advert for Apple’s Mac computer systems.

Mr Musk has additionally been accused of fuelling antisemitism this week over his response to a social media person who appeared to push the “nice substitute” conspiracy concept on X.

The X person claimed that Jewish communities “have been pushing the precise type of dialectical hatred in opposition to whites that they declare to need individuals to cease utilizing in opposition to them”. That concept was among the many hateful concepts referenced by the gunman who killed 11 individuals at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic assault in US historical past.

Mr Musk replied to the put up, writing on his X platform: “You’ve mentioned the precise fact.”

On Thursday, IBM informed the Monetary Instances it had “suspended all promoting on X whereas we examine this totally unacceptable scenario”.

A supply at Apple informed Axios that the corporate was doing the identical, and a Lions Gate Leisure spokesperson confirmed that it too was becoming a member of the exodus. Disney has additionally paused spending on X, The New York Instances stories.

In a single instance of Media Matter’s analysis, a put up claiming Hitler and the Nazis represented a “religious awakening” appeared proper above an advert for Apple’s Mac computer systems.

In September, Mr Musk additionally threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League, a civil rights advocacy group that screens antisemitism and types of extremism, blaming the watchdog group for “making an attempt to kill this platform” with accusations of antisemitism.

“To be tremendous clear, I’m professional free speech, however in opposition to antisemitism of any variety,” he added.

The White Home additionally weighed in, accusing Mr Musk of spreading “abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate”.

“It’s unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind essentially the most deadly act of antisemitism in American historical past at any time, not to mention one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish individuals for the reason that Holocaust,” the White Home mentioned in a press release.