LI Network
Published on: November 20, 2023 at 10:05 IST
Elon Musk declared on Saturday that his company, X, will pursue a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against the non-profit organization Media Matters and individuals involved in what he termed a “fraudulent attack” on his company.
This announcement comes as significant advertisers such as Apple, Disney, Warner Bros, IBM, and others reportedly stayed their advertising on the platform due to allegations of promoting antisemitism.
Media Matters released a report claiming that as Elon Musk engages in conspiracy theories related to white nationalism and antisemitism, his social media platform has been displaying ads for major brands alongside content supporting Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.
In response, tech and media giants, including Apple, IBM, Disney, Warner Bros, Discovery, Paramount, Comcast/NBCUniversal, Lionsgate, and the European Commission, reportedly suspended or ceased their advertisements on X.
Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X, took to social media to express his intentions, stating, “The split second court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company.” He emphasized that the lawsuit would extend to Media Matters’ board, donors, and their network of dark money.
In addition to the legal threat, Musk posted a letter defending his company and criticizing Media Matters’ report and legacy media organizations.
The letter asserted X’s commitment to freedom of expression on its platform and accused activist groups like Media Matters of attempting to undermine this commitment by influencing advertisers and deceiving them about the placement of their posts.
The letter stated, “Despite our clear and consistent position, X has seen a number of attacks from activist groups like Media Matters and legacy media outlets who seek to undermine freedom of expression on our platform because they perceive it as a threat to their ideological narrative and those of their financial supporters.”
Musk’s earlier social media posts referred to Media Matters as “pure evil,” while X CEO Linda Yaccarino emphasized the platform’s strong stance against discrimination and antisemitism, affirming, “There’s no place for it anywhere in the world — it’s ugly and wrong. Full stop.”
