Yaccarino Criticized for Failing to Deliver on Anti-Semitism Vow
Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X Corp., is being heavily criticized for her assertions about the company’s efforts against antisemitism, following owner Elon Musk’s announcement of his intention to sue the Anti-Defamation League.
On the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Yaccarino posted a link to a blog post titled “Our Continued Commitment to Combat Antisemitism at X.” Users responded with accusations that he appeared to have ignored his boss’s actions, with some adding that their reported interactions with hate speech had been ignored.
The former NBC Universal executive, hired by Musk in May, issued a statement Friday night, when many Jews observe the Sabbath, and changed it three times. Some variants started the message with “As you already know”, which was removed in the latest version.
Musk blames the ADL, a nonprofit group that works to combat anti-Semitism, for the company’s lost ad revenue, which he said Monday was down 60 percent in the United States. The group said reports of malicious content on the platform have increased since Musk took over. Musk posted this week that he supports “freedom of speech” but opposes “anti-Semitism of any kind.”
The ADL responded by saying that Musk is engaging in a “dangerous and deeply irresponsible” campaign by engaging with anti-Semites. The group released an audit in March that found the number of anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. to rise 36 percent in 2022, the highest on record since the ADL began tracking in 1979.
“We are deeply committed to combating anti-Semitism at X and working with all groups, but we strongly believe that groups like the ADL and CCDH consistently misrepresent our progress in this area, and the two should not be confused,” the company said in a statement. , refers to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, another group that investigates social media sites for hate speech and disinformation.
Earlier this week, Musk also sued to block a California state law aimed at disclosing the sources of hate speech and information, which requires social media platforms to detail how they monitor content.
