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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Ajit Pawar's demise very shocking: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the death of Maharasthra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash was untimely and very shocking.
In a post on X, Modi said Ajit Pawar was a leader of the people with a strong grassroots level connect.
Pawar, 66, and four other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed near his hometown Baramati in Pune district on Wednesday morning, officials said.
"Shri Ajit Pawar Ji was a leader of the people, having a strong grassroots level connect. He was widely respected as a hardworking personality at the forefront of serving the people of Maharashtra.
"His understanding of administrative matters and passion for empowering the poor and downtrodden were also noteworthy. His untimely demise is very shocking and saddening. Condolences to his family and countless admirers. Om Shanti," Modi said.
