Elon Musk's social media platform X and its Nazi support and propaganda
Elon Musk's social media platform X is found to have a thriving hub for Nazi support and propaganda, with paid subscribers sharing pro-Nazi content, including speeches by Adolf Hitler and Holocaust denial theories, in violation of X's rules. Despite policies against hate speech, the platform does not appear to be consistently enforcing them. Advertisers, including SiriusXM and The Hollywood Reporter, have had their ads run alongside pro-Nazi content. Musk's early pledge to demonetize hate tweets seems to contradict the monetization of Nazi content on the platform. The proliferation of pro-Nazi content is attributed to Musk's decisions after buying the platform, which have made it difficult for researchers to measure extremism on X.
Key Points
- X has become a platform for Nazi sympathizers to amplify their content
- Pro-Nazi accounts pay for premium services to prioritize their content
- Advertisers' ads have run alongside pro-Nazi content on the platform
- Musk's decisions after acquiring X have contributed to the proliferation of pro-Nazi material
Pros
- Exposes the presence of pro-Nazi content on a major social media platform
- Highlights the challenges in enforcing policies against hate speech online
Cons
- Failure to consistently enforce policies against hate speech
- Monetization of Nazi content contradicts Musk's earlier pledges