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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SIT formed to probe second sexual assault case against expelled Cong MLA Mamkootathil
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe a second case of sexual assault against expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, police officials said on Friday.
The SIT will be led by G Poonguzhali, Assistant Inspector General at the Police Headquarters.
The team also includes a DSP rank officer and sub-inspectors, officials added.
The second sexual assault complaint was received by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, which it forwarded to the state police chief.
ALSO READ: Cong expels rape-accused MLA Mamkootathil from party's primary membership
Following this, the Crime Branch registered a case and launched an investigation.
Crime Branch officials said the email complaint contained only the sender's email ID and no other contact details.
As part of the probe, they have sent a reply email requesting that the complainant contact them and provide her statement.
The complainant has alleged that she was sexually assaulted under the false promise of marriage, a Crime Branch official said.
However, details such as the location and date of the alleged incident are not currently available to the police.
The SIT will attempt to trace the sender of the email and record her statement, which is crucial for further investigation, the officer said.
Mamkootathil was expelled from the Congress party on Thursday after a court here rejected his anticipatory bail petition in another rape case.
Police said he is currently absconding, and a manhunt is underway in Kerala and neighbouring states.
