New York, NY, October 27, 2022 ... ADL (Anti-Defamation League) CEO and National Director Jonathan A. Greenblatt issued the following statement regarding Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter:
"Despite my reservations, I was cautiously optimistic that Elon Musk would take the concerns of civil society to heart, but developments over the past two weeks have been troubling. This includes, but is not limited to, Mr. Musk warmly welcoming back Ye to Twitter after Ye made antisemitic comments on Instagram and was booted off the platform. I worry that this will be indicative of Mr. Musk’s approach to content moderation on the platform.
Further, we are concerned that Mr. Musk’s acquisition of Twitter may accelerate what ADL has seen repeatedly: the pushing out of marginalized communities from social media. As with Telegram, Gab, Parler, Rumble, and other platforms that refuse to address incitement and slander in the name of free speech, such platforms have become hotbeds for radicalism and hate. This invariably reduces the diversity of views on these services and narrows rather than expands the public conversation.
There are technical fixes and business model adjustments that truly could improve Twitter, but in owning a social media platform, I hope Mr. Musk will abide by the Peter Parker principle: “With great power comes great responsibility.” I was glad to see him tweet out to advertisers on Thursday that Twitter cannot become a ‘free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences.’ But ultimately Mr. Musk will be judged by his actions, not his words."
ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate.