Ex-Twitter sues NGO that combats hate speech – 08/01/2023 – Tech

Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday sued a nonprofit organization that fights hate speech and misinformation, accusing it of making false claims and encouraging advertisers to discontinue investments in the company.

US media reported that X, controlled by Elon Musk, had sent a letter to the Center for CCDH (Countering Digital Hate) threatening the entity with prosecution for unspecified damages.

In response to that letter, CCDH lawyers accused the social network of “intimidating those who have the courage to defend the fight against incitement, hate speech and harmful content online”. They also said that X’s allegations are baseless.

The lawsuit stems from a press report published in July, which states that the CCDH’s findings indicate that hate speech has increased in relation to minorities using the platform.

The social network and its CEO, Linda Yaccarino, classified the report as false and said it was based on “a collection of incorrect, misleading and outdated metrics, mainly from the period immediately after the acquisition of Twitter”.

In a statement on Monday, the social network X said that the CCDH had gained access to its data without authorization and accused the NGO of extracting data from the platform, violating its terms.

The company reiterated that the metrics contained in the NGO survey were used out of context to make unsubstantiated claims about the platform.

When contacted, the CCDH did not comment on the matter.