Financial Losses
Musk started off by shooing away corporate sponsors with some less-than-polite language.
Flickr user Steve Jurvetson
However, it appears that Musk’s business has suffered financial losses, and he is now attempting to recover them through what is being referred to as a “frivolous” lawsuit.
Musk’s Lawsuit
Ex-advertisers are alleged in Musk’s lawsuit to have abruptly withdrawn financial backing and placed advertisements that resulted in revenue losses for the site and parent company.
Flickr user Maurizio Pesce
This week, Musk’s rage has taken aim at a number of groups. The suit names companies such as Mars and CVS Health, as well as a global advertising alliance.
Changes Following Takeover
Advertisers were quick to criticize the changes to user agreements during Musk’s initial takeover of Twitter, including expanded options to purchase a blue checkmark account and less restrictive freedoms of speech.
Source: Steve Jurvetson/Flickr
When Musk was being interviewed less than a year ago at a business conference, he decided at the time to tell the advertisers to “Go [frick] yourself.”
Open Letter
An X CEO Linda Yaccarino provided X users and advertisers with an open letter and a video explaining why the lawsuit was filed.
X user lindayaX
She asserts that X is accusing the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) of organizing an “illegal boycott” of X and different organizations.
Musk’s Takeover
GARM attempts to lessen the monetization of harmful or illegal online content.
Flickr user Steve Jurvetson
Since Musk’s major takeover and official change to calling the platform X, the site has seen a whirlwind of new content.
Decrease in Censure
In the early days of Musk’s ownership of the social media company, the decrease in censure that he was so fond of ensured that disturbing new information, slurs, and photos were shared on the site.
Flickr user Steve Jurvetson
Presently, it’s not difficult to come across election misinformation and explicit content while browsing on X.
Rumble Issues
A comparable issue happened with the social media site Rumble.
X user rumblevideo
Rumble is a video streaming site that turned into the new most loved spot for extreme right-wing conspiracy theorists to share their thoughts, hate speech, and misinformation.
Joining the Lawsuit
In order to keep some of its previous advertisers Rumble recently announced that it would join X in the lawsuit.
X user rumblevideo
Their advertisers include Unilever, CVS Health, Mars, and Ørsted, a Danish energy company.
“Now it is War”
As posted on X, Musk made a grand statement expressing, “We tried peace for 2 years, now it is war,” while sharing Yaccarino’s remarks on the lawsuit plans.
Bill Ingalls
He likewise shared, “Everyone who has been boycotted should file a lawsuit in every country they’ve been boycotted,” in light of Rumble joining the lawsuit.
Corporate Sponsors Pull Out
Several major corporate sponsors removed their content from the website when Musk first took over, citing the proliferation of new right-wing extremist content.
Flickr user The White House
He sought to take swift legal action against watchdog groups that observed the toxic climate on the web. One especially frivolous claim took aim at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which had a lot of records on the recently renamed X platform.
FTC Perspective
The case was thrown out in March, and the judge stated that Musk couldn’t punish groups for participating in free speech by pulling their support.
Wikimedia Commons user Harrison Keely
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) does utilize antitrust regulations that can implement unlawful boycotting from large gatherings. This is precisely what the X Corp legal advisors are claiming is being done to them.
However, the organization notes: “A business can always unilaterally choose its business partners.” In specific cases, the FTC can mediate in circumstances where huge organizations or an assortment of organizations conspire to hurt competition.