PARIS, France – Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, and owner of Twitter, is taking legal action against Media Matters, a progressive watchdog group, over its report connecting X to antisemitic and pro-Nazi content. This move comes after a number of major companies withdrew their advertising from X due to the report’s damaging impact. Musk’s lawsuit accuses Media Matters of deliberately distorting the likelihood of ads appearing next to extremist content on X and seeks to force the removal of the analysis from the group’s website.

In response, Media Matters President Angelo Carusone has vowed to defend the group, calling the lawsuit “frivolous” and meant to silence X’s critics. X CEO Linda Yaccarino has also defended the social media platform, stating that none of the authentic users saw the ads next to the controversial content mentioned in Media Matters’ analysis. Conversely, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced an investigation into Media Matters, referring to the group as a “radical left-wing organization.”

Musk had previously threatened a lawsuit against Media Matters and those involved in the withdrawal of advertising from X after the report was released. Legal experts have described X’s complaint as weak and opportunistic, emphasizing the symbolic nature of the lawsuit and the choice of filing in a court that Musk may believe will support his claims.

The case has been assigned to District Judge Mark Pittman, who has previously presided over significant legal battles. This lawsuit marks a new chapter in the ongoing conflict between X and Media Matters, with both sides showing no signs of backing down. The outcome of this legal battle could have far-reaching implications for the future of online content moderation and the relationship between social media platforms and advertising.