Twitter has faced rampant criticism for not doing enough to prevent hate speech on its platform, especially under the leadership of Elon Musk. Known for his own controversial statements on Twitter, Elon Musk’s extensive app changes have also been accused of promoting hate speech, misinformation, and even racism.
In an impromptu interview with the BBC on Tuesday evening, Musk denied the prevalence of hate speech and misinformation on Twitter. “Do you see a rise of hate speech?” Musk said. “I don’t.”
Despite these admonitions, there is mounting evidence that suggests hate speech has been flourishing under Musk’s leadership.
In the past few months, a spike in fake news, conspiracy theories, bot accounts and propaganda has created a toxic environment that platforms harmful beliefs, discourages free and open debate and leads to the suppression of ideas. The increased usage of racial slurs and hate speech on Twitter is particularly damaging to marginalised communities, as it reinforces negative stereotypes and can lead to discrimination and violence in the real world.
According to a study by NewsGuard, in the week following Musk’s Twitter takeover, the most prominent untrustworthy and polarising accounts on the app experienced an almost 60% increase in engagement in the form of likes and retweets. The Center for Countering Digital Hate has also discovered that anti-LGBTQ+ remarks have increased by at least 1,458 times a day since Musk took charge.
This is fuelled by bot accounts, utilised to quickly spread hate speech and misinformation to a large number of users. A report by Science Feedback attests that misinformation “super spreaders” have dramatically increased since October of last year, despite Musk’s self-proclaimed mandate to delete bots and automated accounts.
Lax controls and never-ending updates on Twitter’s blue-tick verification system has resulted in shady users masquerading as trustworthy, validated accounts. Once intended to legitimise public figures, celebrities and persons of interest, for a mere $8 anyone can register as a verified user, making it almost possible to discern between false actors and the real deal.
Musk has also come under fire for reinstating previously banned accounts, such as neo-Nazi advocates and QAnon conspiracy theorists.
While the world calls for Musk to implement stricter policies and penalties for accounts that promote hate speech and discrimination, it is essential for everyone to employ their own sense of vigilance and actively report instances of hate speech, racism, discrimination and misinformation; we need to work together to create a safer and more inclusive online environment.