The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit organization that investigates hate speech online, released a report on the impact of Elon Musk's policies on online discourse.
According to the center, Musk's changes to the policies of X (formerly Twitter) are facilitating the promotion of hateful accounts and posts.
CCDH analyzed the growth patterns of ten popular accounts that subscribe to X Premium and post anti-Jewish or anti-Muslim content. Following changes made after October 7, these accounts experienced significant increases in their audience reach. The report cited instances of hate speech, including tweets featuring antisemitic stereotypes such as "blood libel".
Before October 7, the growth of these accounts was relatively slow. However, in the four months following that date, these ten accounts collectively gained 4 million new followers, as per CCDH's commentary to TechCrunch.
The account with the highest recorded growth rate (almost tenfold) was Dawson, known for promoting overtly antisemitic content.
Despite being previously banned from X, Dawson's account was reinstated in 2023 by Musk. Musk has reversed several account bans, including those of known white supremacists and neo-Nazis, leading to increased polarization of discourse on the platform. Consequently, users spend more time on X, resulting in increased exposure to advertising. CCDH alleges this is a deliberate strategy by Musk to capitalize on the platform's controversies.
CCDH points out that criticizing such accounts doesn't effectively counter them. Their analysis revealed that tweets condemning hateful content actually boosted its visibility and reach.
The report highlights, "We found ads for Oreos, the NBA, the FBI, and even X itself placed next to hateful posts."
While Musk claims hate speech has decreased on X under his leadership, the CCDH study raises doubts about this assertion.
X is currently under investigation in the European Union for alleged violations of online governance and content moderation, which may include hate speech. Fines for confirmed violations of the EU Digital Services Act can amount to 6% of a company's global annual turnover.
