Hate Speech on X increased by 50% after Elon Musk takeover, study finds
New Delhi: A new study published in PLOS ONE has found that hate speech on X (formerly Twitter) surged by 50% for at least eight months following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform in October 2022. The research, led by Daniel Hickney from the University of California, Berkeley, highlights a significant rise in racist, homophobic, and transphobic slurs during this period.
The study analyzed 4.7 million English-language posts from early 2022 to June 9, 2023, covering both the ten months before and eight months after Musk’s takeover. The findings revealed that the average number of hate speech posts increased from 2,179 per week to 3,246. Transphobic slurs showed the highest growth, with weekly occurrences rising from 115 to 418 posts.
Engagement with such posts also grew, with the rate of user likes on hate speech content increasing by 70%. Researchers suggest this rise could be due to reduced content moderation, increased activity by hateful users, or changes in the platform’s algorithm that inadvertently promoted such content.
Musk’s policy changes following his $44 billion acquisition, including firing much of X’s content moderation team and disbanding the platform’s Trust and Safety Council, are believed to have contributed to the surge. The study also noted a potential increase in bot activity, particularly through a rise in cryptocurrency-related posts.
While the research focused only on English-language posts, representing just 31% of X’s total content, it presents a concerning picture of the platform’s handling of hate speech. Despite Musk’s earlier promises to tackle such issues, the study suggests that these problems have only intensified under his leadership.
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French President Macron concludes Mumbai visit
Mumbai (PTI): French President Emmanuel Macron, along with First Lady Brigitte Macron, left Mumbai for New Delhi on Wednesday after concluding his engagements here, including bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
They were seen off at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport by Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde.
On Tuesday, Macron held discussions with Modi as part of efforts to further strengthen India-France strategic ties.
During the Mumbai visit, the French president and his wife also met some of India's top filmmakers and actors, and had an animated exchange with them about cinema, culture and collaboration.
President Macron is on an official visit to India from February 17 to 19 at the invitation of PM Modi to participate in the AI Impact Summit hosted by India in the national capital Delhi, besides the bilateral summit in Mumbai.
PM Modi will inaugurate the summit on February 19. As many as 20 heads of states, including French President Macron, will be present at the inaugural session, Electronics and IT Secretary S Krishnan said.
