Twitter/X files a lawsuit against Center for Countering Digital Hate, accusing the nonprofit and its backers of “actively working to prevent free expression”

The Center for Countering Digital Hate said it had received a letter from X, Twitter's parent company …

New York Times 2023-08-01

Context & Ripple Effects

The filing follows X’s threatened legal action against CCDH over research and claims that X said harmed its advertising business. It turns a dispute over platform-safety reporting into a test of the terms under which outside groups can study a major social network.

It also arrives as X split operational responsibility between Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino, with both overseeing trust and safety alongside Yaccarino’s legal and sales remit. That makes litigation part of a broader effort to manage the business consequences of safety criticism.

First-order effects

CCDH must defend its research practices and its public claims in court, while X gains a formal venue to contest the nonprofit’s account of conditions on the platform.
The complaint puts researchers’ use of platform data under immediate scrutiny through X’s reported allegations of terms-of-service and CFAA violations, as covered in the parallel report on the legal claims.

Second-order effects

Other watchdogs and academic researchers may reassess how they collect, retain, and publish evidence from X if litigation raises the cost of platform research.
For X, the case ties its legal strategy directly to advertiser-facing trust and safety: challenging critical research may protect its narrative, but can also prolong attention on the underlying safety allegations.

Third-order effects

The dispute points to a widening fight over whether platform terms and computer-access law can function as practical limits on independent auditing of online harms.
If similar cases become a recurring response to outside scrutiny, transparency may increasingly depend on formal disclosure rules rather than voluntary access—an issue echoed by X’s later challenge to New York’s platform-disclosure law.

The trend: Platform governance is becoming a legal contest over who may measure, characterize, and compel disclosure about online harms.

Discussion

Twitter Twitter on x
Protecting the public's right to free expression
@taylorlorenz.bsky.social Taylor Lorenz on bluesky
Elon Musk claims he's a “free speech absolutist,” but is now using his attorneys to try to silence and threaten a non profit that tracks hate speech and violent extremism https://www.nytimes.com/...
@crowslabyrinth.com @crowslabyrinth.com on bluesky
This is called bullying. [embedded post]
@adamserwer.bsky.social Adam Serwer on bluesky
More free speech absolutism from your favorite free speech absolutist https://www.nytimes.com/...
@nickjsheriff Nick on x
On iOS, the situation is distinct as Apple does not permit any app to have a single character as their app name. If they manage to obtain approval, it would mark the first instance since the inception of the iOS App Store that such a permission has been granted. [image]
@_andyburrows Andy Burrows on x
This is a brazen assault on civil society's collective efforts to hold Twitter/@X to account and could have a chilling effect on the crucial work of tech accountability campaigners 👇🏻
@globalextremism @globalextremism on x
As allies who work closely with @CCDHate we strongly agree that Musk's attempt to shut down valid criticism is absolutely ridiculous and hypocritical.
@ccdhate @ccdhate on x
🚨@ElonMusk has claimed he is a free speech absolutist, but he is now using his attorneys to try to silence CCDH with bogus legal threats. Billionaires can't bully us or our attorney @kaplanrobbie. Here's our response ⤵️ #MuskMeltdown https://www.nytimes.com/...
@elonmusk Elon Musk on x
@xDaily Let's pull the mask off this organization and see who is really behind it
@jgo4justice Jessica González on x
Elon Musk is threatening @CCDHate because they're shining a light on his mismanagement of Twitter. He's never actually been about free speech. He's about advancing his own agenda no matter how he harms others. #StopToxicTwitter
@rachelrileyrr @rachelrileyrr on x
CCDH go after far left, far right and whoever else is posting and spreading dangerous extremism, in the old, meaningful sense of the words. Social media companies and random tech billionaires can't be trusted to police themselves, as they prove over and over again. 👇
@xdaily @xdaily on x
NEWS: X/Twitter has filed a 23-page legal complaint against the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Here's a summary of the key allegations of the filing: - X's filing accuses the CCDH of breach of contract, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, intentional... [image]
@evelyndouek Evelyn Douek on x
“If your clients do file suit, please be advised that CCDH intends to seek immediate discovery regarding hate speech and misinfo on Twitter; Twitter's policies and practices relating to these issues; and Twitter's advertising revenue.” Roberta Kaplan clearly having fun here.
@cernovich @cernovich on x
Elon Musk's X is using a disinformation outlet for unlawfully accessing user data. Strong move. Heroic. https://blog.twitter.com/...
@lindayax Linda Yaccarino on x
Free expression and platform safety are not at odds.
@imi_ahmed Imran Ahmed on x
Thank you Rachel. You're right. @CCDHate have always operated without fear or favor. Long may it continue.
@aricohn Ari Cohn on x
I'm no fan of CCDH, given their repeated calls for patently unconstitutional legislation. But make no mistake, this is a SLAPP threat. You can think their methodology and conclusions are flawed, but that doesn't make their protected speech unlawful. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@x @x on x
Free expression is fundamental to a healthy functioning global society - and if it's taken away, it's almost impossible to get back. That's why we will continue to stand up for people's rights, including the over half a billion of you who turn to our platform continually. Free...
@lanceulanoff Lance Ulanoff on x
“The research consisted of eight papers, including one that found that Twitter had taken no action against 99 percent of the 100 Twitter Blue accounts the center reported for ‘tweeting hate.’” https://www.nytimes.com/...
@elivalley @elivalley on x
Suing the Nazi trackers for noticing all your Nazis https://www.nytimes.com/...
@lucympowell Lucy Powell MP on x
The @CCDHate does vitally important work tackling hate online and calling out platforms which fail to counter dis and misinformation on their sites. We desperately need the Online Safety Bill to put rules in place, so powerful platforms don't act on the whims of one man.
@markruffalo Mark Ruffalo on x
The @CCDHate is one of the best organizations creating accountability for Social Media companies. Count on them to protect your kids, your family and friends from bullying, lies, threats of violence, and abuse. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@bfriedmandc Brandon Friedman on x
Twitter is where Elon Musk was mocked and humiliated by people he wanted to impress. Twitter is what ruined his reputation permanently. So he bought it, destroyed it and he is now working to create a safe, cozy space for all the white supremacists who adore him.
@ccdhate @ccdhate on x
Elon Musk is targeting CCDH because we're a leading voice exposing how hate speech & lies skyrocketed on Twitter under his ownership. By threatening us, @ElonMusk is trying to hide the truth about his own failures and save his plummeting ad revenues. #MuskMeltdown [image]
@ccdhate @ccdhate on x
Before @ElonMusk's lawyers threatened CCDH with legal action, Musk used his own platform to bully us. He called us ‘evil’ and our CEO @imi_ahmed a ‘rat’. #MuskMeltdown [image]
@taylorlorenz @taylorlorenz on x
Elon Musk claims he's a “free speech absolutist,” but he is now using his attorneys to try to silence and threaten a non profit that tracks hate speech and violent extremism https://www.nytimes.com/... @CCDHate
@tonyromm Tony Romm on x
bad things happen on the internet. you could: a) take them down and stuff b) not do that i guess twitter has decided to create a third option, which is to threaten the people doing the work https://www.nytimes.com/...
@jsrailton John Scott-Railton on x
“We write in response to the ridiculous letter you sent on behalf of @X” @CCDHate lawyers' response to Musk's threats is fire. [image]
@seancasten Sean Casten on x
My dad told me when I was little to never pick a fight - but if a bully punches you, punch back twice as hard. So if you have research on hate speech in social media and need help amplifying or protecting in response to this bullying, contact our office. https://www.nytimes.com/.…
@mathewi Mathew Ingram on x
When someone is really committed to free speech https://www.nytimes.com/...
@sparrowmedia @sparrowmedia on x
The narrative that Elon Musk is a “free speech absolutist” is entirely wrong. Whether it's silencing ethnic minorities in India, censoring Tesla workers, or suing anti-hate activists like @CCDHate, Musk is ANTI-SPEECH and has been for some time. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@ttp_updates @ttp_updates on x
Since buying Twitter, Elon Musk has tried to silence his critics while welcoming individuals who spread hate & extremism. Threatening @CCDhate with legal action is just his latest bid to crush dissent while hiding behind empty “free speech absolutism.” https://www.nytimes.com/...
@emptywheel @emptywheel on x
If Elmo is going to sue NGOs that document how he has platformed Nazis, then those NGOs will get access to the internal data Elmo stopped making available via API. https://www.nytimes.com/...
@jsrailton John Scott-Railton on x
First Twitter cut off researchers' access. Now they are resorting to legal bullying. And smears. Anything to keep the truth from coming out. By @sheeraf & @RMac18 https://www.nytimes.com/... [image]
@ditzkoff Dave Itzkoff on x
[image]
@adowniebrazil Andrew Downie on x
Elon and twitter in one story.
@emilybell Emily Bell on x
Those free speech advocates in full .... Legally threatening research outfits. Of course one route might just be to point to available data open to all researchers ....except it cut that off https://www.nytimes.com/...
@justinhendrix Justin Hendrix on x
Musk threatens the Center for Countering Digital Hate.
r/Twitter r on reddit
Twitter Threatens Legal Action Against Nonprofit That Tracks Hate Speech | The Center for Countering Digital Hate said it had received a letter from X …
@seaninsound Sean Adams on threads
Given Apple quietly took down Kanye playlists and removed Parler around the time Kanye wanted to buy it. And Elon just let Kanye back on Twitter. It seems a bit inconsistent from Apple.
@tomwarrenuk Tom Warren on threads
“blaze your glory!” is something I used to do as a teenager with rolling tobacco 🥲
@crumbler Casey Newton on threads
Exceptions Apple has made for Twitter/X to date: — Allowed to deliver full posts in iMessage preview — Allowed to be full of porn — As of today, allowed to use a single-character name in the App Store
@goldman Jason Goldman on threads
I'm kind of whatever on Apple letting them have preview and X. The porn one is kinda interesting. But it's not a unique standard in that Apple also allows the Reddit app.
@chockenberry@mastodon.social Craig Hockenberry on mastodon
“We treat all developers the same.” — I'm fine with that not being true, and there are good reasons for it not being true, but I wish Apple would stop saying it. — Falls into the Google-not-being-evil category. — [image]
@elonmusk Elon Musk on x
Blaze Your Glory!!
@xylium @xylium on x
I'm lost though [image]
@xdaily @xdaily on x
NEWS: X is the top result when searching for either X/Twitter in the App Store. (After the instagram Ad) [image]
@firt Maximiliano Firtman on x
Apple: AppStore rules are the same for everyone Twitter: I want to rename my app to X Apple: no way; the app name must have a minimum of 2 characters (2 days later) Apple: now you have an app with one character as a name [image]
@basicappleguy Basic Apple Guy on x
Lesser known Apple Watch Workouts: Talking to App Review [image]
@dimillian Thomas Ricouard on x
Someone got special treatment [image]
@parkerortolani Parker Ortolani on x
Twitter Blue is also now just “Blue”
@dwbypass Kian on x
@jonathanfritz_ @ParkerOrtolani because there are hundreds of millions to billions of users affected by their company? why do business owner talk to governments as they were politicians you think?
@jonathanfritz_ @jonathanfritz_ on x
@ParkerOrtolani Why do big companies always get such benefits from the apple app store?
@parkerortolani Parker Ortolani on x
all of the “tweet” references so far appear to be gone in the latest iOS app update (10.0) as well, everything says “post”
@parkerortolani Parker Ortolani on x
well someone talked to someone, because X is really now just “X” on the App Store also... the tagline... [image]
@xdaily @xdaily on x
NEWS: 𝕏's 10.0 update for iOS is out now. The update replaces references to “Twitter” with 𝕏, and “Tweets” to “Posts”. The app's tagline is now “Blaze your glory!” aswell. [image]
@strabz Basile Cornet on x
@Dimillian Maybe some days, they stop saying all developers are treated the same 😅
@krzyzanowskim Marcin Krzyzanowski on x
T. Cook: “sir, we treat every developer the same” Truth: They don't https://medium.com/...
@nickjsheriff Nick on x
The app that was named “X” because of Unicode characters recently has been rebranded to “Note” an hour ago. Curious if the app title update resulted from litigation by Twitter, or if it was a simpler decision to avoid going viral on social media as “X.” Musk lacks absolute IP... …
@indianidle Ivan Mehta on x
Apple allowed Twitter to rename the app to X. The App Developer Console prevents developers from assigning one character name to their apps, so this is an exception. In other news, the platform now allows three-hour-long videos. https://techcrunch.com/...
r/apple r on reddit
Apple greenlights Twitter app's rebrand to X
@renee.diresta Renee DiResta on threads
Tom Hanks is trending on the other place because QAnon is pushing its usual pedophile theories and they also have an edited image of him wearing an anti-Trump t-shirt which they are outraged over...
@elkmovie@mastodon.social Michael Love on mastodon
@Techmeme — Musk: make messes — Yaccarino: clean up messes — Both: pretend to care about messes
@joshsternberg.bsky.social Josh Sternberg on bluesky
oh yeah this is gonna work out well. [embedded post]
@bungdan.bsky.social Dan Murphy on bluesky
Co-trust and safety lead with Musk. Sure. You betcha. I'm reminded of former Yankees minority owner John McMullen's comment on Steinbrenner. “When you're George's silent partner, you really learn the meaning of silence.” https://bsky.app/... [embedded post]
@wagatwe.bsky.social @wagatwe.bsky.social on bluesky
aka he'll run trust and safety and she'll take the blame for anything that gets pushback. — glad the dude who personally reinstated an account that disseminated CSAM is leading T&S. just great. 🤢 [embedded post]
@zoelle.bsky.social Zoelle on bluesky
ah yes bc splitting responsibility for key strategic investments always goes great
@rakeshlobster Rakesh Agrawal on x
One of the most predictable outcomes.

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