Elon Musk's X verifies Hitler-praising account with gold checkmark
Elon Musk-owned X has given a gold checkmark to a controversial account called "Defund Israel Now," which denies the Holocaust and praises Hitler. This checkmark is usually reserved for official organizations. With over 35,000 followers, the account is thought to have paid between $200 and $1,000 for its gold status since late 2023. BBC journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh pointed out that the account shared "Hitler was right" videos after weeks of posting deeply antisemitic content.
Content and activities of the account
The "Defund Israel Now" account on X shares Hitler's speeches, accuses Jewish people of being pedophiles and spreads conspiracy theories while engaging with white nationalists. It also highlights the atrocities in Gaza to push its fascist agenda. The fact that this account has the same status as Tesla's AI department or SpaceX, shows a failure in content moderation and suggests that hate speech is widespread on Musk's platform.
Defund Israel Now resorts to blood libel
X's hateful conduct policy and Musk's recent actions
X's "hateful conduct" policy, established in April 2023, bans posting symbols historically linked to hate groups, like the Nazi swastika. It also forbids content that incites fear or spreads stereotypes about protected categories. However, the antisemitic account remains active. Musk himself has allegedly shared antisemitic propaganda on the platform. After facing backlash, he visited Israel and Poland, including the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, but his actions were seen as publicity stunts.
Other controversial accounts on X
X has also verified accounts that bear the N-word in their handles, as reported by the Daily Dot last year. The platform has given a voice to accounts known for sharing child sex abuse material. Musk's businesses have stopped responding to almost all requests for comment, so it's unclear if X will take action against these controversial accounts and improve its content moderation policies.
