Guardian Will No Longer Post on Elon Musk’s X from Its Official Accounts

THE GUARDIAN: Platform’s coverage of US election crystallised longstanding concerns about its content, says Guardian

The Guardian has announced it will no longer post content on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, from its official accounts.

In an announcement to readers, the news organisation said it considered the benefits of being on the platform formerly called Twitter were now outweighed by the negatives, citing the “often disturbing content” found on it.

“We wanted to let readers know that we will no longer post on any official Guardian editorial accounts on the social media site X,” the Guardian said.

The Guardian has more than 80 accounts on X with approximately 27 million followers.

The Guardian said content on the platform about which it had longstanding concerns included far-right conspiracy theories and racism. It added that the site’s coverage of the US presidential election had crystallised its decision. » | Dan Milmo, Global technology editor | Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Musk Finds a (Temporary) Way Around Brazil’s X Ban

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Elon Musk’s social network used a technical maneuver to restore service for many Brazilians after a court blocked it. Regulators expected to restore the block soon.

In his continuing fight with the Brazilian authorities, score one for Elon Musk — at least briefly.

On Wednesday, his social network, X, suddenly went live again for many across Brazil after three weeks of being blocked under orders from Brazil’s Supreme Court.

The reason? X made a technical change to how it routes its internet traffic, enabling the site to evade the digital roadblocks set up in recent weeks by Brazilian internet providers.

But by Wednesday night, the president of Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, said his agency believed it would soon be able to restore the block.

The new twist showed how Mr. Musk appears far from backing down in Brazil, making the dispute a significant test of strength between national sovereignty and the borderless power of internet companies. » | Jack Nicas, Reporting from Rio de Janeiro | Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Leer en español aquí.

Elon Musk va fermer les bureaux de X au Brésil

LE FIGARO : Le propriétaire de X (ex-Twitter) s'est dit forcé de prendre cette décision à la suite d’un bras de fer avec un juge de la Cour suprême brésilienne.

Le propriétaire de X, Elon Musk, a annoncé samedi que les bureaux brésiliens du réseau social allaient fermer en raison d'un bras de fer entre le milliardaire et un juge de la Cour suprême brésilienne. «X n'a pas d'autre choix que de fermer (ses) opérations locales au Brésil», a écrit Elon Musk. «Le service X reste disponible pour les Brésiliens», a précisé une publication distincte de l'entreprise. Le groupe s'est dit forcé de prendre cette décision pour «protéger la sécurité» de son personnel sur place. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | dimanche 18 août 2024

Elon Musk Says X Will Pull Operations from Brazil after ‘Censorship Orders’

THE GUARDIAN: Judge Alexandre de Moraes had ordered X to block certain accounts as he investigated fake news and hate messages

Elon Musk announced on Saturday that the social media platform X would close its operations in Brazil “effective immediately” due to what it called “censorship orders” from the Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes.

X claims Moraes secretly threatened one of its legal representatives in the South American country with arrest if it did not comply with legal orders to take down some content from its platform. Brazil’s supreme court, where Moraes has a seat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. » | Reuters | Saturday, August 17, 2024

EU Takes Action against Elon Musk's X over Disinformation | BBC News

Dec 18, 2023 | The European Union has formally announced it suspects X, previously known as Twitter, of breaching its rules in areas including countering illegal content and disinformation. Digital commissioner Thierry Breton set out the alleged infringements in a post on the social media platform. He said X, which is owned by Elon Musk, was also suspected of breaching its obligations on transparency. X said it was "co-operating with the regulatory process".

Why Elon Musk Continues to Unravel | The Warning with Steve Schmidt

Dec 1, 2023 | Steve Schmidt reacts to the latest comments from Elon Musk and discusses the danger he poses to the United States and the world.

Elon Musk Hurls Defiant, Profanity-laced Retort at Fleeing Advertisers

THE GUARDIAN: At New York event Wednesday, X owner had choice words for Walt Disney and others who pulled ads over antisemitic content

Elon Musk at an event in London on 2 November 2023. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA
Elon Musk has issued a defiant and profanity-laced message for the advertisers who pulled money from X in recent weeks amid a backlash over his endorsement of an antisemitic tweet and reports of increased hate speech on the platform.

Video of the interview, which was widely circulated, showed that Musk said, “Don’t advertise,” on Wednesday during an on-stage interview at an event in New York. “If someone’s going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money, go fuck yourself.”

Musk’s combative remarks came as part of the New York Times’ DealBook Summit. Moments before, the CEO had offered a moment of contrition for his 15 November tweet that endorsed an antisemitic post on X. He said it had been perhaps his worst post in his history of messages that included many “foolish” ones – including a 2018 tweet that cost him $40m in fines from the US Securities and Exchange Commission. (With video) » | Kari Paul | Thursday, November 30, 2023

Elon Musk to File ‘Thermonuclear Lawsuit’ as Advertisers Desert X

THE GUARDIAN: Social media firm boss says he will sue media watchdog that said ads were being placed alongside antisemitic content

Elon Musk said he would file a lawsuit ‘against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company’. Photograph: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
Elon Musk has said he will be filing a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against Media Matters and others, after major US companies paused their adverts on his social media site over concerns about antisemitism.

The media watchdog Media Matters said earlier this week that it found corporate advertisements by IBM, Apple, Oracle and Comcast’s Xfinity were being placed alongside antisemitic content, including that praising Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.

It led to a number of big names in technology and media announcing they would be withdrawing their advertising. It also included Warner Brothers, Paramount and Disney.

“The split second court opens on Monday, X Corp will be filing a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters and ALL those who colluded in this fraudulent attack on our company,” Musk said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. » | Harry Taylor | Saturday, November 18, 2023

White House Condemns Elon Musk for 'Antisemitic' Post | DW News

Nov 17, 2023 | The war in the Middle East has opened the flood gates of disinformation and false claims on social media. And much of the criticism has been directed at the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, owned by the controversial billionaire Elon Musk.

Since aquiring Twitter a year ago, Musk has allowed conspiracy theories and hate speech to thrive. And that's having consequences.

Today, the EU Commission announced it was stopping all advertising on X. It has already launched an investigation into hate speech on the social media site. Also today, the White House condemned Elon Musk for what it called "the abhorrent promotion" of anti-Semitism. That was in reaction to a tweet posted by Musk endorsing a conspiracy theory that Jewish communities push "hatred against Whites".

The White House invoked the 2018 mass shooting at Pittsburg synagogue posting this: "It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.



THE NEW YORK TIMES:

Advertisers Flee X as Outcry Over Musk’s Endorsement of Antisemitic Post Grows: Disney, Apple, Paramount and Lionsgate halted marketing on X, formerly Twitter, as Elon Musk faced a furor over antisemitic abuse on his social media platform. »

Elon Musk criticised by White House over Antisemitic X Post - BBC News

Nov 17, 2023 | The White House has accused Elon Musk of repeating a "hideous lie" about Jewish people, after the X owner appeared to respond approvingly to an antisemitic post on the platform.

On Wednesday, Mr Musk replied to a post sharing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, calling it "actual truth".

Mr Musk has denied that the post was antisemitic. But a White House spokesman said his endorsement of the post, which drew anger online, was "unacceptable".

Elon Musk Facing Backlash over Endorsement of Antisemitic Posts

Nov 17, 2023 | The billionaire and owner of media platform X (formally known as Twitter) came under fire for agreeing with antisemitic comments on the platform.

How Twitter/X Has Changed a Year since Elon Musk’s Takeover - BBC News

Oct 27, 2023

Related.

Elon Musk calls Humza Yousaf a ‘blatant racist’ over ‘whites fill all top roles in Scotland’ speech: World’s richest man makes accusation after Twitter post claims First Minister ‘hates almost 100 per cent of the country’ »

Backlash after Elon Musk labels Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf racist: Musk was reacting to a clip of Scotland’s first ethnic minority first minister listing senior public posts held by white people »

A Rough First Year for 'Chief Twit' Elon Musk | #shorts

Musk’s year of dysfunction.

'Elon Musk Tried to Intimidate Me into Silence.' Former Twitter Exec Speaks Out

Sep 29, 2023 | Twitter’s former Head of Trust and Safety Yoel Roth resigned just weeks after Elon Musk took over the platform, citing his disagreements with its new policies. Soon after, Musk attacked Roth online and led his army of internet trolls in a smear campaign that spread like wildfire. Yoel Roth joins Mehdi to talk about that experience and discuss the future of the platform now known as X.

Twitter ‘Unfit’ for Banking over Alleged Complicity in Saudi Rights Abuses

THE GUARDIAN: Lawyers for family say Saudi government took brother’s data in breach and ‘arrested, tortured, and imprisoned’ him and others

Areej al-Sadhan (left) and Abdulrahman at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California, on 4 May 2013. The family has not seen Abdulrahman since 2021. Photograph: AP
The company formerly known as Twitter is “unfit” to hold banking licenses because of its alleged “intentional complicity” with human rights violations in Saudi Arabia and treatment of users’ personal data, according to an open letter sent to federal and state banking regulators that was signed by a law firm representing a Saudi victim’s family.

The allegations by lawyers representing Areej al-Sadhan, whose brother Abdulrahman was one of thousands of Saudis whose confidential personal information was obtained by Saudi agents posing as Twitter employees in 2014-15, comes as Twitter Payments LLC, a subsidiary of X (the company formerly known as Twitter), is in the process of applying for money-transmitter licenses across the US. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington | Friday, September 8, 2023

Saudi Man Sentenced to Death for Tweets in Harshest Verdict Yet for Online Critics

NPR: DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A retired teacher in Saudi Arabia was recently sentenced to death for his tweets criticizing the country's leadership to his handful of followers, according to rights advocates and his family.

The sentencing of Mohammad Alghamdi, who is in his mid-50s, is the latest in an escalating crackdown on social media users in Saudi Arabia. While others are serving prison terms ranging from 20 to 45 years for their tweets and online criticism of the government, Alghamdi appears to be the first person to be sentenced to death based solely on his posts on X, formerly called Twitter, and YouTube activity.

The wide-scale targeting of critics has unfolded as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushes sensitive reforms that have overhauled life and loosened restrictions for many in the country. These sweeping reforms, like allowing women to drive, ending strict gender segregation rules in public and opening the country to entertainment and tourism, have coincided with a similarly sweeping crush of dissent.

Alghamdi, a father of seven living in Mecca, had gained just 10 followers between the two anonymous accounts he ran on X. According to Human Rights Watch, he used the social media site to rail against alleged government corruption, but was mostly resharing posts by more popular government critics. » | Aya Batrawy | Thursday, August 31, 2023

'Slowly Running Out of Money': Elon Musk’s Big Plans for 'X'

Jul 26, 2023 | Elon Musk makes the risky move to rebrand Twitter to “X” and turn it into the new ‘everything’ app. It comes as a new report reveals hundreds of companies hold trademark rights to the new name. NBC’s Jake Ward breaks it all down.

Related articles here.

Why Has Elon Musk Replaced Twitter’s Blue Bird with an ‘X’?

Jul 25, 2023 | Elon Musk and Twitter Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino have unveiled a new logo for the social media platform, featuring a white 'X' on a black background. Technology journalist Chris Stokel-Walker explains.

Sorry to have to tell you, Elon, but you’ve just had a brain fart! You’ve gone and killed off the dickie bird that laid the golden egg! – © Mark Alexander

Related links here.