Breaking News: Elon Musk Faces Criticism for Promoting 'Pizzagate' Theory on Social Media Platform 'X'

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lon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and owner of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, now renamed ‘X’, is at the center of controversy after amplifying the discredited ‘Pizzagate’ conspiracy theory. His recent actions have drawn intense criticism and resulted in a significant exodus of advertisers from the platform.

Background of the Controversy

Pizzagate, a debunked theory from the 2016 US presidential election, falsely alleged a pedophilia ring linked to high-profile Democrats. Musk’s engagement with this theory on ‘X’, where he replied “Weird” to a user’s post attempting to connect the theory to a media watchdog group, has sparked widespread alarm. This action put the post in front of Musk’s over 160 million followers.

Musk’s Involvement in Other Conspiracy Theories

This incident is not Musk’s first engagement with controversial theories. He previously agreed with an antisemitic post on ‘X’ and shared unfounded claims regarding the violent attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

White House and Advertisers React

The White House condemned Musk’s repetition of antisemitic falsehoods. Major advertisers, including Disney, Paramount, and NBCUniversal, have halted their advertising on ‘X’. IBM also suspended its ads following a report showing their ad next to pro-Nazi content.

Legal and Public Backlash

In response to the Media Matters report alleging the presence of pro-Nazi content on ‘X’, Musk’s company sued the media watchdog, claiming the report was misleading. The company asserted it has taken steps to address antisemitism and discrimination on the platform. Despite this, the controversial accounts mentioned in the report remain active on ‘X’, albeit ineligible for monetization.

Musk’s Defense

Musk has denied accusations of antisemitism, stating, “Nothing could be further from the truth.” His company contends that it is committed to combating hate speech and discrimination on ‘X’.

This series of events has put Elon Musk and his social media platform at the forefront of a heated debate about the responsibility of platform owners in moderating content and the impact of high-profile individuals amplifying conspiracy theories.