Skyrocketing Hate Speech
Speaking of hate speech, Musk is well aware of people’s worries about Twitter descending into a den of iniquity, bigotry, and other vile behavior. That’s a particular concern for the company’s bottom line, and not just because it might cause users to leave. A shift towards more objectionable content could deal a serious blow to advertising revenue if potential clients avoid the platform.
Musk sought to assuage those fears in an open letter to advertisers where he promised Twitter wouldn’t become a “free-for-all hellscape.” (He also said he bought the platform “to help humanity, whom I love,” real words that a real man apparently didn’t recognize as absurd.)
But Elon stans were already hard at work proving that’s obviously not going to be true. Researchers at Montclair State University examined thestatus of hate speech on the platform, and found an “immediate, visible, and measurable spike” in slurs and racial epithets in the hours following Musk’s takeover. Many celebrated Musk’s inauguration by just tweeting the N-word over and over.
Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of safety and integrity, confirmed that conclusion in a tweet saying the company had “been focused on addressing the surge in hateful conduct on Twitter” and removed more than 1500 accounts for violating rules about hate speech over the weekend.
