Elon Musk’s lawsuit dismissed by federal judge

Elon Musk suffered a setback in court when a US district judge dismissed a complaint filed by X Corp against the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a non-profit organization that had reported a noticeable increase in hate speech since Musk acquired the platform in 2023.

Elon Musk’s X Loses Lawsuit Against Research Group That Found Proliferation of Hate Speech, Racist Content on Social Network https://t.co/ah2GvHOUYl

— Variety (@Variety) March 25, 2024

The decision followed a lawsuit filed by X Corp, headed by Elon Musk, against the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Musk alleged that the organization had illegally collected social media data in order to produce reports on the spread of extremism and hate speech.

In his complaint, Musk claimed that these reports were part of a fear campaign designed to intimidate advertisers and cause significant financial harm to his company. He also claimed that the Center for Countering Digital Hate had breached its user agreement by collecting this data.

In a detailed 52-page decision, the judge found that Musk’s concerns focused more on the Center for Countering Digital Hate’s criticism of X than on the data collection.

In addition, the judge ruled that Musk’s complaint violated the law protecting free speech, and that it fell under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which is designed to preserve free speech.

The judge emphasized during the proceedings that Elon Musk’s legal team should have brought a defamation action instead, if the billionaire believed that the Center for Countering Digital Hate was making false or damaging claims against X.

This lawsuit represents a setback for Musk, who has presented himself as an absolute defender of freedom of expression. Criticized for his management of the social media giant, Musk sees his own defense of free speech widely denounced by his detractors.

Important advertisers have left X since Musk took the helm, citing concerns about the increase in hate speech and low-quality viral content.