Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Elon Musk in California Monday, and online anti-Semitism on Musk’s X platform will be high on the agenda.
After Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform, last year, the tech magnate has been in the spotlight concerning the platform’s content and moderation policies. While some critics suggest a rise in hate speech since his takeover, Musk believes the situation is more nuanced than portrayed.
X recently announced a 60% dip in U.S. ad revenue. Musk has opined that this decline was caused largely by pressure that the left-leaning Anti-Defamation League (ADL) applied to advertisers, inducing them to pause their ad campaign. The ADL has rolled out studies commenting on the platform’s content dynamics since Musk’s stewardship began, purporting an increase in anti-Semitic content. However, Musk advocates for a broader examination of the platform’s overall content and its diverse user base instead of focusing solely on isolated incidents.
Musk has been outspoken about the role of the ADL in influencing the platform’s diminishing ad revenue, even threatening to sue the organization for defamation. To engage with varied perspectives and understand the broader sentiment, Musk took part in a conversation on X using the hashtag #BantheADL. During this discourse, he communicated with various users to gauge their views and insights, and re-tweeted anti-ADL articles and tweets.
Supporters of Musk emphasize his commitment to preserving X as a platform that champions a diversity of voices and free speech while also striving to foster a safe and inclusive digital environment. The right-leaning Netanyahu is not known to be a fan of the ultra-liberal ADL.
