Elon Musk’s ‘X,’ formerly known as Twitter, made headlines on Monday night as it announced a lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a British research group focused on combatting online hate and disinformation.
“Free expression is fundamental to a healthy functioning global society – and if it’s taken away, it’s almost impossible to get back,” the official X account page stated in defense of their actions. “That’s why we will continue to stand up for people’s rights, including the over half a billion of you who turn to our platform continually. Free expression and platform safety are not at odds.”
X Corp took issue with the CCDH for its criticism of the platform’s handling of hate speech and misinformation. The CCDH claimed that Twitter “fails to act on 99% of hateful messages” from accounts with Twitter Blue subscriptions. Additionally, CCDH has been vocal in criticizing other corporate entities, including TikTok, for promoting self-harm to users.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that CCDH engaged in a “scare campaign” to drive advertisers away from the X platform. It accuses the group of various violations, including breach of contract, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and intentional interference with contractual relations. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and an injunction against CCDH from accessing, using, or disclosing data provided by X to a social media analytics firm, Brandwatch.
In response to the legal action, the CCDH posted a statement defending their research and calling the lawsuit “baseless legal action.” They affirmed their commitment to exposing hate and lies on Twitter, adding that billionaires cannot bully them.
CCDH’s lawyer, Robbie Kaplan, took to Twitter to express their pride in representing CCDH and their determination to defend them against what they see as unfounded threats.
The battle between X and the CCDH highlights the ongoing tension surrounding free expression and platform responsibility on social media, with implications for the broader debate on regulating online content.
