On November 23rd , Elon Musktweeted that hate spoken communication “ impression ” were down by one third on the weapons platform , along with a graph and a victorious congratulation to his employees . During the same period , the actual use of hatred speech on Twitter spring up exponentially , according to new enquiry .
A sketch from the Center for Countering Digital Hate show that use of the n - word on Twitter tripled in the workweek leading up to Musk ’s tweet , compared to the daily average for the intact month prior to Musk ’s coup of the weapons platform on October 27th . Tweets arrest slurs for gay , transgender , Jewish , and Latino people saw standardised dramatic spikes .
The Center for foresee Digital Hate ’s enquiry used Brandwatch , an analytics platform . They found the north - word was used 30,546 time from November 18th to 24th , the workweek lead up to Musk ’s claims . That ’s 260 % than the hebdomadary average for 2022 . During that week , a slur for gay piece rose 91 % ; a slur for transgender the great unwashed rise 63 % ; a aspersion for Jews move up 12 % ; and a smear for Latinos rose 64 % .
Photo: Ascannio (Shutterstock)
“ Elon Musk has again been exposed as misdirect users andadvertisers , claiming delegation accomplished despite his clear failure to meet his own self - proclaimed standards to clamp down on vicious bigotry , ” said Imran Ahmed , CEO of the Center for counter Digital Hate , in a press button . “ Community standard ensure user experience welcome and advertisers ’ brands are safe . ”
Hate spoken communication impression down by 1/3 from pre - spike levels . Congrats to Twitter team!pic.twitter.com/5BWaQoIlip
— Elon Musk ( @elonmusk)November 24 , 2022
The data does n’t like a shot contradict Musk ’s claim . However , it demonstrate that Musk ’s victory lap may have been artful , suggest that thing were improving on Twitter while the platform was in fact being leverage as a instrument for hatred . The Tesla CEO referenced impressions , a metric function that measures how many people see a spell of depicted object , as contradict to the number of times mean slurs were used in tweet .
There are about 500 M tweets per day & gazillion of impressions , so hate speech impressions are < 0.1 % of what ’s seen on Twitter !
— Elon Musk ( @elonmusk)December 2 , 2022
The threat of toxic message on Twitter has already motor amass exodus of advertisers , threatening the company ’s bottom blood line . In November , a alinement of civil rights groupscalled on adman to boycott Twitter after Musk restore former president Donald Trump ’s explanation . It ’s clear that most advertisers who froze Twitter spending did so because they feared endure advertising alongside toxic subject could threaten their bottom line . Still , Musktweetedthat the advertisers were just responding to pressure from activistic groups who are “ trying to destroy free speech in America . ”
On Friday , Twitterrebanned Ye , formerly know as Kanye West , for tweeting an range of a swastika . Musk had welcome back West after his Twitter business relationship was immobilize for a tweet threatening to go “ death con three [ sic ] on Judaic people . ” The decision to once again take away West contradicts Musk ’s ever alter position on what should be allowed on the political platform . Musk previously said he would leave any talking to on Twitter that did n’t violate the law , but seems to be recognizing that stance was n’t well believe out .
Even Musk himself acknowledge the spindle in hate delivery on the platform following his Twitter acquisition . He follow his graphical record about hate speech impressions by tweeting “ I have half a mind to wag my finger at the 1500 accounts that caused the spike , but I shall forebear , ” adding an eye - roll emoji .
Musk previously said that while he would let hatred speech on the political program , it would be down - ranked in the algorithm so fewer people would see it , a tactics that has been wide criticized by experts . “ His ‘ freedom of lecture , not freedom of reach ’ approach is not specially defined in practice , ” according to Bond Benton , associate professor of public sexual relation at Montclair State University , who ’s studied hate speech on Twitter .
Researchsuggests that trolls on 4chan organized a campaign to on purpose spread hate speech on Twitter in a perverse celebration of Musk ’s reaching at Twitter , according to the connection Contagion Research Institute , a not-for-profit which examine social menace online . Astudyfrom Montclair State University co - authored by Bond notice an “ immediate , seeable , and mensurable spike ” in aspersion and racial epithets in the hours fall out Musk ’s takeover .
An additionalstudyfrom Montclair State University , also co - authored by Bond , find a rise in flack on the LGBTQ+ community of interests after the Colorado Springs Shooting . The researchers found a ear in the word “ groomer ” and related terms , which is used to dehumanize and target LGBTQ+ people by suggesting the LGBTQ+ apparent movement is an effort to promote kid sexual abuse , a claim that has no basis in reality .
adherence said the condition groomer “ was dominant , widely watch , and included threatening tweets that were not removed . ” According to Bond , the countersign groomer was antecedently curb on Twitter . “ The presence of hate on the platform has remained elevated since Musk took over , ” he said . “ In general , trends look deeply problematic on the weapons platform . ”
Shortly before leaving Twitter , Yoel Roth , the company ’s former head of safety and integrity , tweetedthat the organisation had “ been focused on handle the upsurge in hateful conduct on Twitter ” and removed more than 1500 accounts for ravish rule about hatred words . In an interview this week , he suppose that he no longer believed Twitter had become a safer place in Musk ’s mitt .
interrogative about address are just another in a serial of seemingly shoddy claims from Musk since buying Twitter . On Monday , Elon Muskpicked a public fight with Apple , charge the companionship of freezing its advertising on Twitter and wonder aloud if the say pause was because “ they detest devoid speech in America . ” In fact , Applespent $ 84,615 on Twitter adsthat very same twenty-four hour period , according to datum from Pathmatics , a digital advert analytics company . The datum suggest that Apple ’s Twitter advert actually increased in November , topping $ 1 million .
Update : 2024-12-15 3:35 p.m. ET : This story has been update with a scuttlebutt from Elon Musk .
Update : 2025-02-25 2:40 p.m. ET : This chronicle has been updated with a comment from Elon Musk .
Update : 2025-04-16 12:11 p.m. ET : This narrative has been update with additional commentary and particular about research from Montclair State University , as well as info about Musk ’s claims regarding Twitter advertising .
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , scientific discipline , and refinement news show in your inbox daily .
News from the futurity , delivered to your present tense .
You May Also Like
