Elon Musk’s X Corp., previously known as Twitter, filed a lawsuit accusing Media Matters for America of intentionally attempting to drive away advertisers from the social media platform. The lawsuit claims that Media Matters maliciously reported that ads for Apple Inc., International Business Machines Corp., and Oracle Corp. were running alongside pro-Nazi content.
The report by Media Matters followed a series of antisemitic and hate speech incidents on X, which Musk himself promoted, resulting in outrage and alienating advertisers. Both Apple and Walt Disney Co. halted ad spending on the platform.
X Corp. alleges that Media Matters launched a blatant smear campaign by publishing nearly 20 articles against the platform and Musk in November. The lawsuit accuses Media Matters of illegally interfering with X’s contracts with advertisers and making false statements about intentionally placing ads near antisemitic posts.
Musk’s company is seeking monetary damages and a court order directing Media Matters to remove a mid-November article. Musk hinted at filing more lawsuits in the future. Media Matters has not responded to requests for comment.
Musk received backlash for agreeing with a post that made controversial remarks about Jewish people. His recent posts on religion and race have triggered a fierce response, with some investors expressing concern about the impact on Tesla’s brand.
The 52-year-old entrepreneur, now the world’s richest person and CEO of Tesla Inc., is known for his provocative posts. Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman defended Musk, stating that he isn’t an antisemite and has made the world a better place.
The lawsuit is X Corp. v. Media Matters for America, 23-cv-1175, US District Court, Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth).
–With assistance from Edwin Chan and Dana Hull.
(Updates with allegations in suit. A previous version of the story corrected where the suit was filed.)
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