In a recent revelation that has sent shockwaves through the digital landscape, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), an organization dedicated to combatting online prejudice, has released a damning report this month. According to the report, X (previously known as Twitter) has allowed a staggering 86% of 300 posts reported for hate speech to remain on its platform.

These incendiary posts, originating from 100 X accounts, propagate venomous ideologies encompassing antisemitism, racism, neo-Nazism, and white supremacism. Astonishingly, a week after the initial reporting between August and September of this year, a staggering 259 of these hateful posts remained active, along with 90 of the 100 accounts that disseminated them, as disclosed by CCDH.

To underscore the alarming nature of this revelation, CCDH provided vivid screenshots showcasing the persistence of these offensive posts, often juxtaposed with advertisements from prominent companies like Apple.

"The decision by X to persist in hosting these posts, even after they were reported, is in flagrant violation of the platform's explicit policies against hateful content. Such policies unequivocally prohibit racist slurs, dehumanization, and the display of hateful imagery, including the Nazi swastika," emphasized the organization.

However, it is worth noting that X had previously contested the methodology used in the study and publicly expressed discontent that CCDH had not shared its findings prior to publication.

In a statement released last Friday, X's official Safety team categorically dismissed the allegations as "misleading" and staunchly defended its content moderation processes.

Each of the offending posts, X stated, had been viewed an average of 168 times by 84 unique users. Furthermore, the platform argued that the report's publication had led to a regrettable 10% increase in the reach of these posts, as X had not been given the opportunity to address the issue before it went public.

X took pains to assert its commitment to addressing this issue, emphasizing that it remained open to collaboration with companies seeking to enhance its content moderation approach.

In a surprising twist to the controversy, X's owner, Elon Musk, known for his advocacy of free speech absolutism, openly threatened legal action against CCDH for its work. Musk even expressed his desire to sue the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization dedicated to advocating for Jewish rights, alleging that the ADL had exerted undue pressure on advertisers, thereby negatively impacting X's market value. Notably, Musk did not provide any concrete evidence to substantiate his claims of a connection between ADL and X's declining value.

Responding to these developments, CCDH's founder and CEO, Imran Ahmed, denounced X's reaction as "outrageous" and underscored that researchers had indeed utilized X's own reporting mechanisms to flag the hateful content.

"In light of this, there is no basis for complaints that we failed to notify you in advance," retorted Ahmed in a post on X. "Responsible parties accept accountability."

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