Elon Musk blames ADL for lost revenue, says he's 'against anti-Semitism of any kind'

Elon Musk expressed his opposition to antisemitism on Monday and held the Anti-Defamation League accountable for a decrease in advertising earnings after he took ownership of X, the social media platform formerly recognized as Twitter.

The influential technology tycoon unexpectedly shared his viewpoints on freedom of expression and anti-Semitic behavior on his official social media account on Monday afternoon. When a user queried his standpoint, Musk claimed that the ADL had been attempting to undermine this platform by unjustly labeling it and him as anti-Semitic.

"If this situation persists, we will be left with no option but to initiate legal action for slander against, unexpectedly, the 'Anti-Defamation' League," Musk expressed. "In the event that they are proven guilty of defamation, we will strongly request that they remove the term 'anti' from their name, as it is evidently…"

In a subsequent post, he expressed that X has no other alternative but to initiate legal action for defamation against the group in order to restore its reputation.

A message sent to lawyers representing Musk and X inquiring about the existence of a complaint has not received a prompt response.

Musk additionally mentioned that X's income from advertisements has experienced a 60% decrease in the United States. He claimed that advertisers have informed the social media platform that the ADL's influence is one factor contributing to this decline.

On Monday, the ADL announced that it has a policy of refraining from making statements regarding legal threats. A representative directed NBC News to a general statement issued by the organization in relation to the ongoing #BanTheADL movement on the social media platform, which Musk has actively participated in.

Musk proposed in a social media update on Saturday that perhaps he should "conduct a survey" regarding the matter.

"We are not discouraged by these sneaky attempts," stated the blog post. "On the contrary, they motivate us to remain resolute in our dedication to combat hatred in every manifestation and guarantee the well-being of Jewish communities and other marginalized populations."

In November, there was a report by NBC News stating that advertisers were reducing their support for the platform. This occurred because companies had worries about the alterations that Musk planned to introduce to the social media platform. At that moment, Musk accused "activist groups" of trying to "eliminate freedom of expression in America."

Musk's statements were later supplemented with more information by users, who shared news articles indicating that advertisers were acting independently.

Last month, X initiated legal proceedings against a non-governmental organization that tracks hate speech and false information. In the filed lawsuit at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, X alleged that the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) schemed to create fear in order to discourage advertisers from partnering with the X platform.

The legal complaint asserts that CCDH released publications making claims that the platform did not address instances of hate speech adequately. Additionally, the CCDH is accused of engaging in a sequence of illicit activities aimed at gaining unauthorized entry to the platform's data.

In a statement, Imran Ahmed, the founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization, accused Musk of engaging in bullying tactics. He referred to the legal action as a clear example of following the strategies commonly found in authoritarian regimes.

Ahmed stated that according to the research conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, hateful content and false information are rapidly propagating on the platform since Musk took ownership. This legal action is a clear, intentional endeavor to suppress these initiatives.

In March, the ADL published a report claiming that the platform had not adequately addressed hate speech. The ADL Center for Technology and Society discovered that merely 28 percent of posts marked as having antisemitic content were either removed or subjected to consequences.

The report stated that although we cannot confirm the company's actions of reducing the visibility of anti-Semitic content, we have discovered Twitter's inefficiency in removing tweets that plainly breach the policies against hateful behavior.

There was no immediate response from X when asked for a comment on Monday afternoon.

According to a research conducted by Montclair State University in the previous year, there was a notable increase in the usage of offensive language on the platform following Musk's assumption of control over the company in October. The study examined derogatory and antagonistic terms aimed at individuals due to their racial background, along with other groups receiving legal protection.

According to the university, the information undeniably indicates a connection between Musk's entrance and a more widespread perception of tolerance towards offensive content being shared on Twitter.

In April, the popular online platform faced criticism for appearing to backtrack on a longstanding rule that was put in place to safeguard individuals who identify as transgender. Twitter had prohibited the intentional misidentification or use of former names for transgender individuals since 2018, however, this rule was removed from their policy earlier this year.

GLAAD designated Twitter, presently referred to as X, as the "most perilous platform for LGBTQ individuals" in its Social Media Safety Index.

Doha Madani serves as a veteran journalist specializing in delivering immediate and significant news updates for NBC News. Her preferred pronouns are she/her.