X Strikes Back: Lawsuit Against Media Matters Amid Advertiser Exodus

24.11.2023 - 16:21

In a surprising turn of events, Elon Musk's social media platform, X, has initiated legal action against the left-wing advocacy group Media Matters. The lawsuit, filed in a Texas federal court, alleges defamation, with X accusing Media Matters of knowingly and maliciously manufacturing a report that led to a significant exodus of advertisers. This legal move comes in response to Media Matters' findings, which claimed that ads for major companies appeared next to antisemitic content on the platform.

Ad Exodus Fallout

The crux of the lawsuit revolves around the allegation that Media Matters systematically manipulated the X user experience to create and publicize its report. X contends that the organization artificially manufactured findings by exploiting user features, creating ad pairings that X did not passively allow on the platform. According to the lawsuit, Media Matters intentionally misled advertisers by representing exceedingly rare ad pairings as commonplace, creating a harmful perception of X's content moderation practices.

Methodology Critique

X takes issue with the methodology employed by Media Matters, emphasizing that the group created a secret X account designed to evade normal safeguards. This account allegedly manipulated every aspect of the system to generate side-by-side images of objectionable content and advertisements. X asserts that Media Matters' account altered its scrolling and refreshing activities to manipulate the combination of advertisements and content, leading to inaccurate and harmful representations.

Intent to Harm Revenue

The lawsuit further claims that Media Matters intended to harm X's revenue stream. X positions itself as the most prominent online platform that permits users to share all viewpoints, whether liberal or conservative. The legal action includes charges of interference with contract, business disparagement, and interference with prospective economic advantage.