X / Twitter lets Israel-Gaza hate speech spread, new study finds — and these users are the culprits

Elon Musk’s platform X, previously known as Twitter, has been under fire for its ongoing misinformation issues. Hate speech has surged on the platform since Musk took the reins.

The situation on X worsened notably after the Israeli-Gaza conflict erupted. Particularly concerning has been the proliferation of misinformation from verified users, who pay the company $8 monthly to gain algorithmic priority.

A new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) revealed that X is slow to act on reported harmful content, raising significant concerns about its responsiveness to potential dangers.

Research Highlights Rampant Misinformation on X

CCDH researchers identified 200 posts propagating bigotry against Muslims or Jews. These posts included antisemitic or Islamophobic imagery, Holocaust denialism, Nazi glorification, and dehumanization of Palestinians. When reported to X, only four of these posts were removed, indicating a retention rate of 98 percent.

“X has attempted to assure advertisers and the public of their control over hate speech, but our research suggests otherwise,” stated CCDH CEO and founder Imran Ahmed.

Musk has had clashes with CCDH, even resorting to legal action against the organization due to its reports. Despite this, CCDH continues to release studies on X and its failure to moderate content effectively.

X has introduced various changes to its Community Notes program, a community-driven “fact-checking” feature addressing user posts. However, misinformation continues to spread largely unabated, as this program doesn’t address hate speech.

“This is the inevitable result when you reduce safety and moderation staff, welcome previously banned hate actors, and offer increased visibility to anyone willing to pay $8 a month,” Ahmed pointed out. “Musk has created a safe space for racists, promoting impunity that leads to attacks, harassment, and threats against marginalized communities.”