Elon Musk’s X Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Media Matters for America Over Ad Placement Controversy

In a dramatic turn of events, Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has filed a lawsuit against Media Matters for America, accusing the media watchdog of defaming the platform by making false claims about ad placements next to controversial content.

The legal battle stems from a recent report by Media Matters for America, alleging that major brands, including IBM, Comcast, Apple, Oracle, and others, had their ads displayed alongside pro-Nazi, antisemitic, and white nationalist posts on X. The report triggered a swift response from Musk, who accused the group of distorting the reality of the user experience on X to mislead advertisers.

In the complaint filed in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas, X asserted that Media Matters “knowingly and maliciously” portrayed ads next to hateful material “as if they were what typical X users experience on the platform.” The lawsuit claims that Media Matters manipulated algorithms to create false impressions of X’s largest advertisers’ paid posts next to racist and incendiary content.

Musk, known for his bold statements, vowed to file a “thermonuclear” lawsuit against Media Matters and others involved in the alleged attack on X. The CEO accused the nonprofit organization of engaging in a “fraudulent attack” on the company.

In a separate development, Texas Attorney Ken Paxton initiated an investigation into Media Matters for potential fraudulent activity. Paxton expressed concern about ensuring the public has not been deceived by what he referred to as “the schemes of radical left-wing organizations” aiming to limit freedom of expression in the public square.

Responding to Paxton’s lawsuit, Musk labeled Media Matters as “pure evil.” FOX Business reached out to Media Matters for comment on Musk’s lawsuit, but there has been no response at the time of reporting.

Media Matters President Angelo Carusone defended the organization’s research, stating that X’s assurances of safety protections were contradicted by their findings. Carusone claimed that even when searching for white nationalist content, ads were flourishing on the platform, contrary to X’s claims.

Elon Musk faced criticism last week after commenting on a post on X that some deemed antisemitic. Musk clarified that users advocating for the genocide of any group would be suspended from the platform.

This legal clash adds another chapter to Musk’s tumultuous tenure with X, which saw a mass exodus of advertisers last year following his $44 billion acquisition of the platform. Musk, undeterred, expressed confidence that the legal proceedings would unveil the truth behind Media Matters’ report, promising that “the discovery and depositions will be glorious to behold.”