Legal arguments were exchanged in court as X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, took legal action against a research organization for documenting an increase in hate speech on the platform since its acquisition by Elon Musk. X alleges that the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate violated its terms of service by compiling public tweets improperly, leading to a loss of advertisers.
During the court session, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer expressed skepticism towards X's claims, questioning how reporting on publicly available information could breach platform rules. The case has drawn attention from social media researchers interested in its implications on public discourse.
X's lawsuit, filed in California, accuses the center of collecting data through unauthorized means, resulting in financial losses and wasted resources for the company. The researchers, represented by their attorney, defended their actions, stating they used automated tools to analyze public posts.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate, a non-profit operating in the U.S. and UK, regularly publishes reports on hate speech and harmful content on various social media platforms. Their critical reports on X under Musk's ownership have highlighted an increase in hate speech and misinformation.
Notably, X faced backlash from advertisers following reports of their ads appearing alongside hateful content. Musk's stance on free speech has been scrutinized, with critics pointing out his tolerance for certain harmful speech while reacting strongly to criticism directed at him or his companies.
Thursday's court hearing followed a motion by the center to dismiss X's lawsuit, with Judge Breyer indicating he will review the motion. The outcome of this legal battle could have significant implications for online speech regulation and the responsibilities of platforms towards monitoring and addressing hate speech.
