Musk’s X asks judge to penalize nonprofit researchers tracking rise of hate speech on platform

By DAVID KLEPPER and BARBARA ORTUTAY
Associated Press

Attorneys for X Corp. and a research organization that studies online hate speech have traded arguments in court in a legal battle over the organization’s reports on the increase in hate speech on the site since it was purchased by Elon Musk in 2022. The non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate released several reports documenting the increase in hate speech on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. X’s attorneys argue the center violated the platform’s terms of service by compiling the data, and that the reports hurt the site’s advertising. The center says Musk is using his wealth to try to silence his critics, despite his claims to support free speech.