Elon Musk, the founder of social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has stated that the company is considering suing the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) over anti-Semitism allegations, which he blames for declining sales.
Musk accused the US-based Jewish organization late Monday of fabricating baseless allegations about him and X that have scared away advertisers.
“To clear our platform’s name on the matter of anti-Semitism, it looks like we have no choice but to file a defamation lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League… oh the irony!” Musk wrote on X on Monday.
“Based on what we’ve heard from advertisers, ADL seems to be responsible for most of our revenue loss,” he wrote, adding that the group “would potentially be on the hook for destroying half the value of the company, so roughly $22 billion.”
“Advertisers avoid controversy, so all that is needed for ADL to crush our US & European ad revenue is to make unfounded accusations,” he wrote in a long thread that started with a clarification that he favors free speech but is “against anti-Semitism of any kind.”
In an email to AFP, the ADL declined to comment on Musk’s legal threats but responded to the “BanTheADL” hashtag that has been trending on the website.
Musk, who bought Twitter last year and rebranded it as X, has come under fire for liking posts with the hashtag.
“ADL is unsurprised yet undeterred that antisemites, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists and other trolls have launched a coordinated attack on our organization,” the email said.
“This type of thing is nothing new,” the ADL said, adding that the campaign came after the group participated in a civil rights march marking the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.
The ADL has for years accused the social media site of amplifying anti-Semitic hate speech and recently met with top executives at X.
In a 2016 report, the group said anti-Semitic attacks against journalists had exploded on Twitter, “thanks to the rhetoric in the 2016 presidential campaign.”
It accused the social network of failing to control its “trolling problem.”
Billionaire Musk has also been accused of encouraging anti-Semitic stereotypes, including assaults on Jewish billionaire George Soros.
According to the ADL and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), problematic and racist discourse on X has increased dramatically after Musk’s $44 billion buyout in October.
Tesla’s CEO has now sacked thousands of platform staff, reduced content control, and reactivated former President Donald Trump’s account.
Musk sued the CCDH last month, accusing it of a disinformation campaign that harmed the social network’s relationship with advertisers.