After preparing to expose an organization for its alleged efforts to cripple X via the social media company’s revenue stream, owner Elon Musk pointed out a similar campaign from “far left pressure groups” that resulted in a rival’s loss of free speech.
Since his acquisition of the platform formerly known as Twitter, the billionaire free speech absolutist has experienced frequent pushback and widespread complaints from the snowflake set over his First Amendment stance. Monday, amidst renewed claims of “lots of hate speech” on X, Musk fired back with the threat of a lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League for allegedly costing him “roughly $22 billion” in advertiser dollars.
Later Monday, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO backed up his claims against the ADL with a report from 2020 when the non-governmental organization was said to have been part of a similar ad boycott pressure campaign against Facebook.
Musk captioned the dredged-up story, “The Facebook caved to far left pressure groups and now allows them to silently dictate policy in exchange for ad money.”
Within the piece from Politico, it was reported that three days into a boycott, 800 companies had pulled their advertising dollars out of Facebook as part of a demand that the platform crack down on so-called hate speech with the hashtag “#StopHateForProfit.”
The outlet wrote, “Jim Steyer, who heads Common Sense Media, a group focused on improving the media landscape for families and children, knew Matt Rivitz, one of the two leaders of Sleeping Giants, and they had a conversation with Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League.”
“Along with Common Sense, the ADL began spreading word through progressive political circles that their small coalition was thinking of pushing for a one-month ad boycott of Facebook,” the report continued of the coalition of groups that contended to have a collective $1.7 trillion in buying power. “At the same time, [executive director Rashad] Robinson and Color of Change were contemplating something similar and, after hearing about the ADL-tied effort, decided to join forces.”
In total, it had been predicted that the boycotts would cost Facebook roughly $250 million in ad sales compared to its $77 billion in annual revenue at the time.
Musk argued that the Meta-owned company caved to the demands of the boycott and earlier on Monday made his case for a suit against the ADL by posting in part, “If this continues, we will have no choice but to file a defamation suit against, ironically, the ‘Anti-Defamation’ League.”
“If they lose the defamation suit,” the billionaire mused, “we will insist that they drop the…’anti’ part of their name, since obviously…”
‘Oh, the irony!’ Musk sues Anti-Defamation League for $22 BILLION for trying to destroy X with smears https://t.co/stJwigroxk via @BIZPACReview
— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) September 5, 2023
The once Chief Twit suggested that the ongoing boycotts meant that the ADL was responsible for approximately half of the value of the company, “so roughly $22 billion,” and ad revenue continued to be down because of their pressures.
Some argued in response to Musk’s claim that the proposed sum didn’t truly capture the cost attributed to the silencing of important voices on various fronts, “Doctors, scientists, journalists, nurses…” but they supported an effort to expose it all in court.
How many thought leaders were silenced before they had an opportunity to engage because of these censorious policies?
— The Rabbit Hole (@TheRabbitHole84) September 5, 2023
They should not be able to get away with it
— Catalyst (@DarrylWReeves) September 5, 2023
BINGO! Large corporations & government agencies are paying social media platforms for the ability to censor Americans under the guise of advertising.
— Propaganda Sniper on (@HindlesKitchen) September 5, 2023
Pretty interesting to see what is out there are these big tech companies once the curtain is pulled back to see who is pulling the strings
— $BANK (@BankercoinAda) September 5, 2023
— Stephen Lloyd (@apparentlysteve) September 5, 2023
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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