Twitter is threatening legal action against the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a nonprofit that researches hate speech and content moderation on social media platforms.

The letter from Twitter’s lawyers alleges that CCDH’s research publications are intended to ‘harm Twitter’s business by driving advertisers away from the platform with incendiary claims.’

This is a pretty bold move from Twitter, especially considering that CCDH is a well-respected organization that has been doing this kind of research for years. And it’s especially ironic coming from Elon Musk, who has said that he’s a ‘free speech absolutist.’

But Musk has also shown that he’s sensitive to criticism, so it’s not surprising that he’s taking this kind of action against CCDH

  • Red_October@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Elon used to love saying he was a Free Speech Absolutist, but once again that only extends to speech he likes.

    • crapwittyname@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I love it. The gist is:

      • hate speech is running rampant on your platform.
      • you’re doing nothing to stop it.
      • here’s our evidence.
      • where’s your e idence?
      • why are you spending time and money on fighting us instead of on fighting the literal white supremacist death threats on your platform?
      • telling us we’ve not sampled enough tweets while you’re in the process of making impossible the mass sampling of tweets is…a bit rich.
      • we’re not intimidated by your threats
      • your threats are also bullshit
      • we’re not gonna stop

      It’s a textbook example of “no u” in grown up language. Bravo.

      • Mrs_deWinter@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        Not to mention how it starts with

        “We write in response to the ridiculous letter you sent our clients on behalf of X Corp.”

        They are not taking any BS. I love it.

      • eestileib@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Legal snark is by far the most expensive brand of humor, but when it’s deployed on your behalf it’s so goddamn satisfying.

        During a hearing in my divorce, I answered a question from the judge, the other lawyer says “we can’t have hearsay in this discussion”, my lawyer responds “well this will be a short hearing then because everything in your client’s motion is hearsay”.

        That little snap cost me about $15 but it was worth it.

    • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The best part of it:

      If your clients do file suit, please be advised that CCDH intends to seek immediate discovery regarding hate speech and misinformation on the Twitter platform; Twitter’s policies and practices relating to these issues; and Twitter’s advertising revenue. In that event, a court will determine for itself the truth of the statements in our client’s report in accordance with the time-tested rules of civil procedure and evidence.

      Now that is a nuclear statement in a lawyers letter…

    • Dima@lemmy.one
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      1 year ago

      I love that this is a legal letter and yet contains the very direct phrase:

      That threat is bogus and you know it.

    • Silverseren@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I really think all the artists still on there are shooting themselves in the foot in the long run.

      And that obviously has already started with the direct messaging restrictions that messes with contacting commissioners.

      • klyde@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        If they leave Twitter, where are they going to go? Artists need to promote themselves. They sure aren’t coming here to promote themselves. Twitter has always been where people go to keep up with their favorite artists whether it be art, music, comedy, etc. If they leave then they’re shooting themselves in the foot. Twitter is still massively popular even if you don’t agree. Same goes for Reddit.

        People who have made a living promoting themselves on Twitter aren’t going to leave it just because Musk is a dumbass. Most artists as you mention typical have business emails in their profiles. Until Musk does something to fuck with their income, they’re staying.

        It’s the same shit when people on Reddit say they’re abandoning COD this year because the devs pissed them off only for the game to have the highest sales ever. You, me, Lemmy users, and Reddit haters are just a fraction of the people who use those sites.

          • TwilightVulpine@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Mastodon is a good pick to keep in the back pocket but it doesn’t have mass adoption yet, and all the others are art-dedicated websites. The advantage of Twitter was that it made it easy for their art to be shared widely but linked back to their account so that regular people just browsing would get to know their work and maybe follow them through it. Anyone regularly browsing those other websites are already art enthusiasts so that’s not so effective to expand their audience.

            • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              It won’t have adoption until it gets adopted. And the only way for that to happen is for people to adopt it of course. What probably needs to happen is for someone to write a simple app to either post to both at the same time or something that someone could run themselves or pay an inexpensive nominal fee for someone else to run for them to mirror their posts.

              • TwilightVulpine@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                That was made harder because Twitter now charges for their API. Some people are trying to do both manually, but they can’t entirely move away since their livelihood depends on maintaining their audience.

                • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  We did these sort of things before apis. They will be possible when all apis are gone still.

        • mycatiskai@lemmy.one
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          1 year ago

          They (celebrities) would have the biggest pull to get people moved onto one of these new services.

          I know nothing short of the names as I don’t need that kind of app or service but if one of these new places like blue sky or mastadon had an easy way to get signed up for the masses then someone like Taylor Swift saying she was signing up and to join her there as she drops twixxter then millions of people would sign up in days.

          • TwilightVulpine@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            The issue is that not every artist is a celebrity.

            Sure Taylor Swift can move a lot of people, but some upcoming niche artist can barely hold onto the little audience they built even by staying there.

        • eestileib@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          “Twitter has always where people go to keep up with their favorite artists…”

          Somehow fandoms managed to exist before 2007.

        • Veloxization@yiffit.net
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          1 year ago

          From what I have seen/heard from people still on there, there’s a new setting that only allows you to receive DMs from “verified users” (i.e. Twitter Blue subscribers). You are automatically opted into this and have to opt out to receive DMs from others.

    • flub@silkky.pub
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      On the upside, it’s mostly morons and assholes. The reporting that’s got Musk snorting rails of battery pack acid and pursing his oh-so-ruby lips basically addresses the stark increase in both the assholes and the vastly more numerous waterheads they manipulate and grift. I’ve looked at #X from others’ accounts and it’s hilarious. I’d feel guilty if I were to sign up. Undignified. Embarrassing. Icky.

    • Thorny_Thicket@sopuli.xyz
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      Why? It’s mostly positive experience for me. I don’t quite see why someone else not liking Twitter means I shouldn’t be there either.

      • crapwittyname@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Someone else not liking it, sure. But if it’s doing nothing about hateful speech and death threats then by continuing to use it you appear to be fine with that.

        • Thorny_Thicket@sopuli.xyz
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          I guess in a way I’m fine with that. I tolerate it. As long as it stays out of my feed atleast. I don’t see it being being something that Twitter is somehow especially riddled with compared to other social media companies or even Lemmy for that matter.

          If I were to boycott every company that does something I don’t agree with I’d pretty much be living alone in the forest eating berries and mushrooms.

          • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            No one is saying boycott all. They’re just saying boycott some. And that’s a bridge too far for you.

  • iegod@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Evidence based documentation is going to be hard to win against, unless the plan is just drag them through legal proceedings until they can’t afford it. The american dream.

    • Rhabuko@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      Wouldn’t surprise me if in this case enough people would donate. Enough people are sick of Musk at this point.

    • sic_1@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      Yes, free speech and evidence based documentation will be fine, Musk won’t be able to afford prolongued legal proceedings. American dream indeed.

  • madjo@geddit.social
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    1 year ago

    Does Stinky believe that by suing these researchers, the rise in hate speech didn’t happen?!

  • rodneyck@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The man-child billionaire says he is not for censorship, while using the judicial system to censor.

  • MisterMoo@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    We don’t need to call it X or even the platform formerly known as Twitter. It’s just Twitter.

  • thorbot@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I think Elon’s rebranding from “twitter” to “X, The Social Media Platform Formerly Known As Twitter” was really smart. You know what, I am gonna go XTSMPFKAST-eet that right now! Obviously the branding was the weakest part of the product he bought!

  • Blackmist@feddit.uk
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    Sue everyone you don’t like. That’s the thin-skinned, narcissistic billionaire way.

    Doesn’t matter if they’re right or wrong, pile up the costs and they’ll all cave in.

  • Smoogs@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Wasn’t he all about free speech and even against censorship?

    “ I think if you go down the censorship route, it’s only a matter of time before censorship is turned upon you.” -musk