What's happened
Twitter/X sues Media Matters for America over defamation allegations regarding ads appearing next to pro-Nazi content
Why it matters
The lawsuit highlights the ongoing debate around hate speech and the responsibility of social media platforms to prevent ads from appearing alongside harmful content. It also raises questions about the role of media watchdog groups in holding platforms accountable for their content.
What the papers say
The Times says that Twitter/X has faced backlash after Media Matters published a report alleging that ads for major brands appeared next to pro-Nazi content. The Guardian reports that Twitter/X has filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, accusing the organization of defaming the platform. The New York Times highlights the advertiser exodus from Twitter/X following the report by Media Matters. The NY Post mentions that Twitter/X CEO Linda Yaccarino has defended the platform's efforts to fight antisemitism and discrimination. The Independent notes that Elon Musk and an adviser to former President Donald Trump have called for journalists at Media Matters to be jailed over the report.
How we got here
The controversy began when Media Matters published a report claiming that ads for major brands were appearing next to pro-Nazi content on Twitter/X. This led to several major brands, including IBM and Apple, suspending their advertising on the platform. Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter/X, endorsed an antisemitic post on the platform, further fueling the backlash.
More on these topics
-
Elon Reeve Musk FRS is an engineer, industrial designer, technology entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, CTO and chief designer of SpaceX; early investor, CEO and product architect of Tesla, Inc.; founder of The Boring Company; co-foun
-
International Business Machines Corporation is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York. It was founded in 1911 in Endicott, New York as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company and was renamed "International Busine
-
Media Matters for America is a politically left-leaning 501, nonprofit organization which acts as media watchdog for scrutinizing right-leaning media outlets.
-
Twitter is an American microblogging and social networking service on which users post and interact with messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and retweet tweets, but unregistered users can only read them.
-
Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and online services.
-
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney, is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California.