Elon Musk’s X removes Holocaust denial put up after days of criticism

Aug 22, 2023 at 5:03 PM
Elon Musk’s X removes Holocaust denial put up after days of criticism

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has deleted a put up denying the Holocaust a number of days after it was highlighted by the Auschwitz Museum.

The memorial’s account reported the offensive materials, which referred to the mass murder by the Nazis as a “fairytale” and included an antisemitic meme, on Sunday.

Despite X, previously Twitter, itemizing Holocaust denial as a breach of its insurance policies, it initially advised the museum there was nothing unsuitable with the put up and it remained stay.

The put up had been eliminated as of Tuesday morning and the account, which solely had 20 followers, was suspended.

The museum has since highlighted one other account posting a Holocaust conspiracy concept.

The account, @MillerStream, has a verification tick and nearly 100,000 followers.

X has not responded to quite a few stories concerning the put up, the museum stated.

“This time we did not even get a reply,” it added, tagging the accounts of Musk and X chief Linda Yaccarino.

Sky News has contacted X for remark.

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Musk removes block function

It comes after the Auschwitz Museum criticised Musk’s decision to remove the block feature on X.

The transfer is the newest in an extended line of controversial modifications to the platform’s content material moderation stance since the billionaire took over last October.

He stated the block function “makes no sense” and would solely stay in place for direct messaging.

Elon Musk
Image:
Elon Musk

The Auschwitz museum, which preserves the positioning of a former focus camp in Poland the place no less than 1.1 million folks, principally Jews, have been killed by the Nazis, was fast to oppose the change.

“Failing to address the antisemitic and Holocaust denial comments that appear under our posts commemorating the victims of Auschwitz would be a disservice to their memory,” it stated.

“We’ve chosen to block users who promote denial and hatred.”

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‘Free expression’

Musk, a self-described free speech absolutist, has repeatedly defended his stance on content material moderation.

Earlier this month, X sued a hate speech watchdog that accused the world’s richest man of overseeing an increase in abusive posts and disinformation.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate has reported an increase in hateful language, criticised the dropping of COVID misinformation policies, and the placement of adverts next to posts from controversial accounts.

The social media agency, renamed X last month, has stated any coverage modifications are about defending “free expression”.