Elon Musk's platform has given 'Premium' blue checkmarks to at least 150 paying subscribers who support neo-Nazi beliefs. NBC News made this report.These paid subscribers regularly violate the platform's policies against hate speech by reposting hateful views, swastika imagery, Holocaust denialism, speeches from Adolf Hitler, and antisemitic content praising violence against Jews and other groups.
A number of posts garnered millions of views in just seven days in March, including one repeating the discredited claim that 6 million Jews didn't die in the Holocaust. These subscribers pay $8 monthly and benefit from 'prioritization' that helps make their posts visible to others. Numerous unverified non-subscribers repost this content, spreading and normalizing neo-Nazi views.
The platform's policies prohibit the glorification of violence. Nonetheless, the platform does not consistently enforce its policies.NBC News stated that the number of paid neo-Nazi accounts may be even higher than 150 because, during its investigation, premium subscribers could conceal their verification check marks from the public. The platform recently announced that it will eliminate this option in the next few months. The platform also recently made a change to provide free premium subscription checkmarks to accounts with over 2,500 verified followers. This change will make it more challenging to determine which accounts are paid and which are not. Since Musk bought the platform for $44 billion in October 2022, hate content has spread on the site. Musk himself reinstated numerous right-wing, anti-LGBTQ+, and neo-Nazi accounts that had previously been banned from the platform. He has also echoed transphobic talking points and neo-Nazi conspiracy theories like the 'Great Replacement Theory,' causing major advertisers to flee. The platform's ad revenue has decreased by 50% and may lose another $75 million as advertisers stay away. Musk has responded by telling advertisers to 'f**k off' and suing watchdog organizations that have reported on the platform's hate speech problem.
Five of the accounts most responsible for promoting anti-LGBTQ+ 'groomer' attacks on the platform generated up to $6.4 million per year in ad revenues, according to a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) in March 2023. In July 2023, the CCDH accused Musk of making 'troubling and baseless claims that appear calculated to harm the platform generally and its digital advertising business specifically.' CCDH founder and CEO Imran Ahmed said of Musk, 'He’s normalizing the idea that hatred against Muslims, Jews, Black people, LGBTQ+ people is acceptable, normal, and tolerable in society.'
… and he's helping boost their hateful messages as well. transphobic talking points and neo-Nazi conspiracy theories like the “Great Replacement Theory,” causing big-name advertisers to flee. The site’s ad revenue has decreased by 50% and it may lose another $75 million as advertisers stay away. Musk has responded by telling advertisers to “f**k off” and suing watchdog organizations that have reported on X’s hate speech problem.
Five of the accounts most responsible for pushing anti-LGBTQ+ “groomer” attacks on X generated up to $6.4 million per year for X in ad revenues, according to a March 2023 report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).
The March 2023 CCDH report noted that anti-LGBTQ+ tweets accusing queer people of “grooming” children for abuse increased 119% since Musk’s acquisition of the social media network. Five of the accounts most responsible for pushing anti-LGBTQ+ groomer attacks were set to generate up to $6.4 million per year for Twitter in ad revenues, the CCDH’s report noted.
In July 2023, Musk sued the CCDH for allegedly making “troubling and baseless claims that appear calculated to harm Twitter generally and its digital advertising business specifically.”
CCDH founder and CEO Imran Ahmed said of Musk, “He’s normalizing the idea that hatred against Muslims, Jews, Black people, LGBTQ+ people is acceptable, normal, and tolerable in society.”
