House Democrats have called for explanation from X's owner Elon Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino regarding the steps they intend to take to limit Hamas-associated material on their social media platform. Led by Representatives Dan Goldman of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the group wrote that the site has become a prime source for false information and terrorist rhetoric. They further noted that the presence of anti-Semitic material on X was already inexcusable, and has since the fatal Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel become "outright indefensible." This plea for information comes as Musk and X are facing claims of antisemitism that have provoked major corporations such as Apple and Disney to stop advertising on the site.
More than two dozen House Democrats on Tuesday alleged that X, owned by Elon Musk, was "profiting off violent content by a terrorist organization" and called on Musk and Linda Yaccarino, the CEO, to address Hamas-connected content on the social media platform."The platform has become a breeding ground for misinformation and terrorist propaganda," the caucus of 27 Democrats, led by Reps. Dan Goldman of New York and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, wrote in a letter obtained by CNBC.The already "unacceptable" appearances of anti-Semitism on X, they added, had become "utterly indefensible" following the fatal Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel by Hamas activists. The U.S. has listed Hamas as a terrorist organization since 1997."Given the many blatant cases of X making money from this material, we need thorough responses from X in examining potential legislation to prevent such activity in the future," the legislators wrote.They gave Yaccarino and Musk until Dec. 1 to release "all forms of written communications" regarding content moderation for posts or accounts concerning Hamas.
In addition to the documents, the House Democrats asked Yaccarino and Musk to describe how X intends to address Hamas-associated content currently available on the platform. They also want to know what changes the company "aims to enact to make sure the harmful spread of terrorist propaganda is not repeated."
X did not offer an immediate response to CNBC's request for comment as Musk, the world's wealthiest man, and the platform he bought last year for $44 billion, contend with new accusations of antisemitism that are posing a danger to its advertisement-based revenue model. Apple, Disney, and Comcast - the parent company of CNBC - were some of the notable brands that suspended their internet advertising on X last week, after Musk publicly agreed with an antisemitic hypothesis that "Jewish communities" were inciting "dialectical hostility against whites.""You have stated the real truth," Musk wrote Wednesday in response to that post.This generated volatile castigation from X consumers, Wall Street investors, and Washington personnel. The White House reproved Musk for inciting "antisemitic and racist loathing."The results of this coincided with a new investigation from the progressive nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters for America, which claimed X put ads from prime businesses beside posts applauding Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich.Musk ferociously denied accusations of him being bigoted, penning in a post on Sunday that press coverage dubbing him antisemitic for his rhetoric is "unauthorized," and "nothing could be further from the fact."
"I wish only the best for humanity and a thriving and exhilarating future for all," he wrote.He has also repeatedly branded Media Matters as "pure evil" and vowed to commence a "thermonuclear lawsuit" on Monday against the organization "and ALL who conspired in this fraudulent attack on our company."Yaccarino, a previous NBCUniversal advertising director whom Musk designated in May as his CEO, stated Thursday that X has been "very clear on our initiatives to battle antisemitism and bias."Media Matters President Angelo Carusone in a communication Saturday slammed Musk's authorized danger as a "futile" attempt to "silence reportage that he even admitted is precise."The missive from Goldman and Raskin on Tuesday essentially evaded focusing on Musk over his questionable posts.Rather, the Democrats laid out various X accounts that have purportedly been "diffusing Hamas insurgent videos celebrating barbarous deeds of animosity against Israelis."They referred to accounts from last month from the Tech Transparency Project, or TTP, the research branch of the nonprofit watchdog Campaign for Responsibility, and the nonprofit think tank Institute for Strategic Dialogue, or ISD.The TTP investigation discovered accounts that remunerated for X's Premium service sharing brutal, uncensored videos such as "bloodied bodies on the ground, and rocket and drone attacks on Israeli tanks and automobiles."Those clips had also been featured on the website of Hamas' military branch and were posted on X in apparent violation of the company's content regulations, as per TTP.
Review more news from CNBC on politics: Federal Reserve Chairperson Janet Yellen commented that high rent and food prices are two important factors contributing to a pessimistic economic outlook amongst voters. The challenge made against President Donald Trump's gag order was rigorously questioned by the appeals court. And, populist Alberto Fernandez, who is an admirer of Mr. Trump, won the election in Argentina, nudging the nation further towards a dollarized economy.
Janet Yellen has noted that the expensive costs of food and rent are primary contributors to the negative sentiment amongst voters concerning the economy. The challenge to the gag order imposed by the Trump administration was met with intense scrutiny by the appeals court. Additionally, the populist Alberto Fernandez - who has been known to express an admiration for Donald Trump - achieved victory in Argentina, moving the country further along the path of dollarization of its economy.
A report from ISD determined that within a 24-hour window of Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, 128 posts from 45 individual accounts containing approval of terrorist activity on X were identified. It was likewise pointed out that one of the acknowledged Premium accounts, disseminating Hamas propaganda and antisemitic statements, had been given some recognition by Musk in a post that has been since taken down. The documents further indicated that X is earning money from the proliferation of such abhorrent and detrimental content via charges of account subscription and ad revenue. According to the lawmakers, the accounts singled out in the documents from TPP and ISD "pay for confirmation without any formalized vetting process and are boosted by the site's algorithm" when they buy X Premium. It is highly relevant to reference the NewsGuard mid-October report studying 250 posts with high engagement that advanced bogus or unchecked assertions connected to the Israel-Hamas War. Of the 250 posts, 186 came from accounts that had paid for Premium verification. It should be noted that Comcast is the owner of NBCUniversal and CNBC.
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