Musk Is Suing Media Matters

https://newrepublic.com/post/177058/elon-musk-wants-destroy-media

Elon Musk is going scorched earth on Media Matters after the news watchdog revealed that X (the social media network formerly known as Twitter) was placing ads from reputable companies alongside antisemitic, pro-Nazi posts.

On Monday, Musk filed a lawsuit against the company in a U.S. District Court in Texas, alleging that the publication defamed his platform by publishing its investigation.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Also Opens An Investigation

“Not a single authentic user on X saw IBM’s, Comcast’s, or Oracle’s ads next to the content in Media Matters’ article. Only 2 users saw Apple’s ad next to the content, at least one of which was Media Matters. Data wins over manipulation or allegations. Don’t be manipulated. Stand with X.”

On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that his office was opening an investigation into the publication’s report, claiming he was “extremely troubled” by allegations that Media Matters had manipulated data on the social media platform.

Missoury AG Also Joins

Missouri Attorney General* Andrew Bailey*, who introduced an emergency rule earlier this year to ban health care for transgender adults in his state, also joined the legal charge, posting that his team “is looking into this matter.”

Carusone

Media Matters appeared unthreatened by the challenge, shrugging off the lawsuit in favor of standing behind its reporting. “This is a frivolous lawsuit meant to bully X’s critics into silence,” Media Matters’ president, Angelo Carusone, told Reuters in an emailed statement.

After Musk initially threatened the lawsuit on Friday, Carusone called Musk a “bully who threatens meritless lawsuits.”

Carusone took over for David Brock in 2016.

MSN Fears These Will Have a Chilling Affect On Fact-Checkers and Media Watchdogs

https://www.wired.com/story/x-elon-musk-media-matters-lawsuit/

“To be a victim in that lawsuit is incredibly expensive. It’s incredibly time-consuming,” says Ahmed, who estimates that CCDH has had to spend more than $250,000 in legal fees to defend itself. Ahmed worries that these types of lawsuits could have a “chilling effect” on other organizations monitoring X.

Their fear is that these investigation and lawsuits could make it harder for the fact-checkers and news police to intimidate and threaten social media sites and news sites and punish them if they stray from the narrative.

In the suit against MMFA, X claims that “99% of X’s measured ad placement has appeared adjacent to content scoring above the Global Alliance for Responsible Media’s brand safety floor”—an advertising industry standard to prevent monetization around harmful content—and that MMFA had “manipulated” the platform’s algorithm to return results that, the suit claims, are otherwise rare.

Plus they now have to fend off two AG investigations and more could follow.

This will drain and force them direct resources to defend in conservative states.