Musk Threatens to Sue Anti-Defamation League Over Ad Revenue Decline

Elon Musk, owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League for allegedly working to “kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic.”

Key Quotes: On Monday, Musk indicated a defamation lawsuit against the ADL was imminent. Musk stated that “US advertising revenue is still down 60%, primarily due to pressure on advertisers by @ADL (that’s what advertisers tell us), so they almost succeeded in killing X/Twitter!” He later stated, “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!” The ADL did not respond directly to Musk’s statements, but did respond to the #BantheADL campaign that trended on the platform over the weekend, with an ADL spokesperson stating the “ADL is unsurprised yet undeterred that antisemites, white supremacists, conspiracy theorists and other trolls have launched a coordinated attack on our organization. This type of thing is nothing new.”

For Context: Musk purchased the platform in October 2022, quickly initiated an overhaul and loosening of the content moderation policies, drawing scorn from groups such as the ADL. In August, Musk filed a lawsuit against the UK-based Center for Countering Digital Hate, alleging similar “misleading claims.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered the lawsuit threat. The New York Post (Lean Right bias) stated that Musk “amplified an extremist campaign to ban the Jewish group.”