Yaccarino takes heat as X pledge on antisemitism falls flat

X Corp. Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino is facing a barrage of criticism for her claims that the company is fighting antisemitism, days after owner Elon Musk said he plans to sue the Anti-Defamation League.

X Corp. CEO faces criticism for claims of fighting antisemitism amid owner's plans to sue ADL. (AFP)

X Corp. Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino is facing a barrage of criticism for her claims that the company is fighting antisemitism, days after owner Elon Musk said he plans to sue the Anti-Defamation League.

Yaccarino posted a link on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter to a blog post titled “Our ongoing commitment to combat antisemitism on X.” Users responded with accusations that she appeared to be ignoring the actions of her boss, with some adding that their reported interactions with hateful speech had been ignored.

The former NBC Universal executive who was hired by Musk in May posted the statement on a Friday night when many Jewish people observe Shabbat and revised it three times. Some variations began the post with “As you already know,” which was taken out in the most recent version.

Musk blames the ADL, a nonprofit group that aims to combat Jewish hate, for the company's lost advertising revenue, which he said Monday was down 60% in the US. The group said that reports of harmful content on the platform have spiked since Musk's takeover. Musk posted this week that he is “pro free speech” but against “anti-Semitism of any kind.”

The ADL responded by saying Musk is embarking on a “dangerous and deeply irresponsible” campaign by engaging with antisemites. The group released an audit in March which said the number of antisemitic incidents in the US rose 36% in 2022, the highest on record since the ADL began tracking in 1979.

“We are deeply committed to combating antisemitism on X and working with all groups, but strongly believe that groups like the ADL and CCDH consistently misrepresent our progress in this area, and those two things should not be conflated,” the company said in a statement, referring to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, another group that scrutinizes social media sites for hate speech and disinformation.

Earlier this week, Musk also sued to block a California state law aimed at exposing sources of hate speech and information, which require social media platforms to detail how they moderate content.