A judge dismissed a lawsuit by X against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit that investigates hate speech on the platform owned by Elon Musk. In the decision, the judge said the lawsuit was an attempt to “punish” the organization for criticizing the company.
X sued CCDH last summer, accusing the group of using its platform as part of a “scare campaign” to damage its advertising business. The group had published research stating that X to act on reports of hate speech and, in some cases, was pushing that content.
In , federal judge Charles Breyer said that “this case is about punishing” the CCDH for publishing unflattering research. “It is clear to the Court that if “Breyer wrote. “X Corp.'s motivation for bringing this case is evident. “X Corp. has brought this case to punish CCDH for its publications critical of X Corp., and perhaps to deter others.”
X said he planned the decision.
In Imram Ahmed, executive director of the CCDH, said the ruling “affirms our fundamental right to investigate, speak out, defend and hold social media companies accountable for the decisions they make behind closed doors.” He added that “it is now very clear that we need federal transparency laws” that would require online platforms to make data available to independent researchers.
