X Corp. Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino is facing a barrage of criticism for her claims that the company is fighting antisemitism, days after owner Elon Musk said he plans to sue the Anti-Defamation League.
Yaccarino posted a link on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter to a blog post titled “Our ongoing commitment to combat antisemitism on X.” Users responded with accusations that she appeared to be ignoring the actions of her boss, with some adding that their reported interactions with hateful speech had been ignored.
The former NBCUniversal executive who was hired by Musk in May posted the statement on a Friday night when many Jewish people observe Shabbat and revised it three times. Some variations began the post with “As you already know,” which was taken out in the most recent version.
X opposes antisemitism in all its forms. Antisemitism is evil and X will always work to fight it on our platform. And X is also always open to proactively working together in that fight with all groups.👇https://t.co/EoXEvrXbKx
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) September 9, 2023
Musk blames the ADL, a nonprofit group which aims to combat Jewish hate, for the company’s lost advertising revenue, which he said is down 60% in the US on Monday, after the group said that reports of harmful content on the platform have spiked since Musk’s takeover. Musk posted this week that he is “pro free speech” but against “anti-Semitism of any kind.”
The ADL responded by saying Musk is embarking on a “dangerous and deeply irresponsible” campaign by engaging with antisemites. The group released an audit in March which said the number of antisemitic incidents in the US rose 36% in 2022, the highest on record since the ADL began tracking in 1979.
Earlier this week, Musk also sued to block a California state law aimed at exposing sources of hate speech and information, which require social media platforms to detail how they moderate content.