Tag Archives: Twitter

NBC News: Pro-Nazi Content Rages Unchecked On X

NBC News reports: NBC News found that at least 150 paid “Premium” subscriber X accounts and thousands of unpaid accounts have posted or amplified pro-Nazi content on X in recent months, often in apparent violation of X’s rules. The paid accounts posting the content all consistently posted antisemitic or pro-Nazi material. Examples included praise of Nazi soldiers, sharing of Nazi …

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Musk: New X Users Will Have To Pay To Post Tweets

TechCrunch reports: Elon Musk is planning to charge new X users a “small fee” to enable posting on the social network and to curb the bot problem. While replying to another user, Musk later added that new accounts would be able to post after three months of creation without paying a fee. As is the case with a lot of …

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X To Stop Letting Paid Users Hide Their Checkmarks

Ars Technica reports: X will soon stop allowing users to hide their blue checkmarks, and some users are not happy. Previously, a blue tick on Twitter was a mark of a notable account, providing some assurance to followers of the account’s authenticity. But then Elon Musk decided to start charging for the blue tick instead, and mayhem ensued as a …

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Judge Blocks Texas AG’s Probe Into Media Matters

Rolling Stone reports: A judge on Friday moved to halt an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) into the liberal watchdog journalism organization Media Matters, issuing a preliminary injunction in the case. Calling Media Matters a “radical left-wing” and “anti-free speech organization,” Paxton claimed to be investigating “potential fraudulent activity” by the group under Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices …

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Musk Deposed In Suit Over False Nazi Accusation

The Huffington Post reports: Elon Musk was deposed last month over his role in allegedly promoting a false conspiracy theory that a 22-year-old Jewish man participated in a neo-Nazi brawl. Musk tried to keep the deposition from going public, and perhaps for good reason: It did not go well for him. “There’s some risk that what I say is incorrect, …

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Musk Defies Brazilian Order To Shut Down Disinfo

Reuters reports: Elon Musk is challenging a decision by a Supreme Court justice in Brazil who ordered his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to block certain accounts, and he called on Sunday for the judge’s resignation. Musk said X was lifting all the restrictions decided by Justice Alexandre de Moraes on certain undisclosed accounts in Brazil and …

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X Fills “Safety Team Leader” Post After Nine Months

The Associated Press reports: Elon Musk’s X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has named a new head of safety nine months after the last executive to hold the position departed from the social media company. X said that company veteran Kylie McRoberts will oversee the global safety team. The platform also announced that Yale Cohen, who previously worked for …

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Judge Tosses X’s Suit Against Hate Speech Watchdog

CNN Business reports: A federal judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s X that had targeted a watchdog group for its critical reports about hate speech on the social media platform. In a blistering 52-page order, the judge blasted X’s case as plainly punitive rather than about protecting the platform’s security and legal rights. “Sometimes it is …

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X’s Daily US Users Down 23% Since Musk Takeover

NBC News reports: In February, X had 27 million daily active users of its mobile app in the U.S., down 18% from a year earlier, according to Sensor Tower, a market intelligence firm based in San Francisco. The U.S. user base has been flat or down every month since November 2022, the first full month of Musk’s owning the app, …

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Musk: “Moderation Is Propaganda Word For Censorship”

Mediaite has the transcript: Lemon: They’re not illegal, but they’re hateful. And they can, they can lead to violence. As I just read to you, the shooters, you know, in all of these mass shootings, attributed social media to radicalizing. Musk: So, Don, you love censorship, is what you’re saying? Lemon: No, I don’t love censorship. Musk: Then why, why …

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SCOTUS Limits Social Media Blocks By Govt Officials

USA Today reports: A unanimous Supreme Court on Friday defined when the personal social media account of a public official is a government action, trying to settle whether constituents can be blocked from commenting or from following those accounts. A public official may block constituents, the court said, unless the official had the power to speak on the government’s behalf …

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X Removes Elon Musk’s Claim Of Cannibalism In Haiti

Bloomberg News reports: Elon Musk’s X took down a post its billionaire owner shared in response to a news report critical of how he and other pundits are politicizing lawlessness and violence in Haiti. The post violated X rules, according to a message that appeared for some users. Musk and influencers he frequently interacts with on the social media service …

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Musk “Could Care Less” About Hate Speech Criticisms

Mediaite has the transcript: LEMON: Hate speech on the platform is up. Do you believe that X and you have some responsibility to moderate hate speech on the platform, that you wouldn’t have to answer these questions from reporters about the great replacement theory as it relates to– MUSK: I don’t have to answer these questions. LEMON: –great replacement theory …

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SEC Accuses Musk Of “Distorting” Twitter Investigation

Engadget reports: The SEC officials investigating Elon Musk over his handling of the Twitter takeover seem to be growing more and more impatient with his legal antics. The two sides have been locked in a dispute over Musk’s refusal to testify in the investigation. Now, in a new filing, the SEC accuses Musk of trying to “misrepresent” the regulator’s investigation. …

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Musk Axes Lemon’s X Show Over Drug Use Questions

Axios reports: Former CNN anchor Don Lemon said on Wednesday Elon Musk canceled his new show on X, formerly Twitter, after he interviewed the multi-billionaire last week. Lemon claimed Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech “absolutist,” was “mad” at him over the “tense” interview, which will be included in the premier episode of “The Don Lemon Show” next week. “Apparently, free …

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Judge Disqualifies Himself In Ex-Twitter Execs Lawsuit

Bloomberg Law reports: A California federal district court judge has recused himself from hearing a lawsuit four former Twitter Inc. executives brought against Elon Musk for allegedly refusing to pay them severance. Judge Gilliam Haywood said he is “disqualified” from the case led by Parag Agrawal, who served as the chief executive officer of the social media site that Musk …

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NYT: Musk’s Charities Benefit His Own Businesses

The New York Times reports: Unlike Bill Gates, who has deployed his fortune in an effort to improve health care across Africa, or Walmart’s Walton family, which has spurred change in the American education system, Mr. Musk’s philanthropy has been haphazard and largely self-serving — making him eligible for enormous tax breaks and helping his businesses. Since 2020, he has …

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Musk: “I Am Not Donating Money to Trump Or Biden”

CNBC reports: Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Wednesday he will not donate to the campaigns of either President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump. “Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President,” Musk said in a post on his social media site X. Musk’s tweet came a day after The New …

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Fired Twitter Execs Sue For $128 Million In Severance

Ars Technica reports: Elon Musk and X Corp. were sued yesterday by four former Twitter executives who say they were cheated out of more than $128 million in severance when Musk bought the social network and fired them. Former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, former CFO Ned Segal, former Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde, and former General Counsel Sean Edgett filed …

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X Could Face Antitrust Crackdown Under New EU Rules

Politico Europe reports: Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, may face tough new restrictions under the European Union’s new digital antitrust rulebook, the European Commission said after the company told regulators they could come under the scope of the rules. X, TikTok-owner Bytedance and travel website group Booking told the Commission on Friday that they run digital services that …

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