- Elon Musk contemplates legal action against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over alleged false accusations of antisemitism on X and their role in declining advertising revenue.
- Musk actively engages with the #BanTheADL campaign on X, prompting a response from the ADL, which has previously raised concerns about increased antisemitism on the platform since Musk’s acquisition.
Elon Musk has indicated the possibility of taking legal action against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for alleged accusations of antisemitism directed at both X and himself, as well as claims that these allegations have driven advertisers away from the social network.
Musk, in a recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter), accused the civil rights organization of attempting to undermine X’s existence by making false accusations of antisemitism against the platform and him. He went on to assert that the substantial decline in X’s advertising revenue, a decline of approximately 60% since his formal takeover in October 2022, was primarily attributable to pressure exerted on advertisers by the ADL.
He stated, “If this trend persists, we may find ourselves compelled to initiate a defamation lawsuit against, ironically, the ‘Anti-Defamation’ League.”
These legal threats from Musk emerged following the trending campaign #BanTheADL on X over the weekend. Musk actively engaged with this campaign, which advocates for the removal of the ADL’s account from X, and sought input from his extensive following of over 155 million users on whether he should “conduct a poll” regarding the matter.
In a tweet posted on 6th September, Musk wrote, ‘Jonathan at ADL kicked off a massive Twitter boycott campaign less than a week after the acquisition closed…”
The ADL, though generally refraining from commenting on legal threats, released a statement to CBS MoneyWatch on Tuesday addressing the campaign seeking the removal of its X account.
“ADL is unsurprised yet undeterred that antisemites, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and other trolls have launched a coordinated attack on our organization,” remarked an ADL spokesperson. “Such insidious efforts don’t daunt us.”
The ADL has raised concerns about an alleged surge in bullying and antisemitic content on X following Musk’s acquisition of the social network last year.
Musk rolled back policies aimed at removing “violative hateful content” on the platform, as outlined in an ADL report from June. According to their analysis, 27% of online harassment incidents this year occurred on X, up from 21% in 2022.
In an interview with CBNB, CEO of ADL Jonathon Greenblatt responded to the legal threats made by Elon Musk.
Greenblatt claimed that he had never accused Elon Musk or 𝕏 of exhibiting anti-Semitic behaviour. He emphasised his belief that Twitter as a platform does not promote anti-Semitism.
During the interview, when the host, who also identifies as Jewish, inquired whether Greenblatt was seeking a position or donation from 𝕏 on behalf of the ADL, Greenblatt took offence. He considered this inquiry an invocation of an anti-Semitic stereotype, which left the host feeling uncomfortable and defensive.
Initially, Greenblatt stated that the ADL was not actively engaging with advertisers, both publicly and privately. However, later in the segment he requested a call for a pause after the acquisition and expressed concerns about advertisers participating in a negative environment on Twitter.
Contrary to claims suggesting that the ADL is a small non-profit based in New York, it is a substantial organization with a rich history spanning over a century. According to the ADL’s 2021 tax filings, it reported total revenue of $101 million and a balance sheet of $238 million. Additionally, it received indirect government funding through grants to affiliated groups. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is recognized as the preeminent non-governmental institution for legal education in the United States. Nevertheless, it has faced accusations of conducting surveillance operations encompassing Archbishop Desmond Tutu and an extensive network of 700 organizations spanning seven major American cities. Additionally, allegations have emerged regarding the monitoring of a substantial group of 10,000 Palestinian activists.
While Greenblatt mentioned collaboration with various social media platforms, including Facebook, a Politico article implied that a post by @elonmusk suggested the ADL had some level of influence over content posted on Facebook.
Greenblatt stated that he was not aware of the specific reasons behind Elon’s tweets. However, Musk attributed his tweets to a 60% drop in advertising, which he believed was a result of the ADL’s interference. Greenblatt acknowledged this during the news segment.
The 𝕏 Safety team reported that, according to an independent assessment conducted by Sprinklr, hate speech impressions on 𝕏 amounted to 0.003%, a significantly lower figure than Twitter’s estimate of 0.012%.
Curiously, there appears to be a notable absence of discussion surrounding the recent upsurge in Islamophobic tweets. According to a recent United Nations Report, a mere 14.83% of anti-Muslim tweets are actually taken down from online platforms, while an astonishing 871,379 anti-Muslim posts have emanated from India.
It is perhaps even more curious that antisemitism seems to be the focus here. Furthermore, there have been previous concerns highlighted by the FBI with suggestions that ADL may have acted as a surrogate for Israel.
Musk, in a recent X post, reiterated his support for free speech while vehemently opposing any form of antisemitism.
Conversely, it is noteworthy to acknowledge Elon Musk’s public endorsement of staunch Islamophobes, namely, his alignment with right-leaning figures such as Robert Spencer and Amy Mek, including his active interaction with certain objectionable content they share on Twitter:
This episode isn’t the first time X’s leadership has pushed back against criticism from an advocacy group. In July, X initiated a lawsuit against the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, characterizing it as a “scare campaign to drive away advertisers from the X platform.”
