Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of X (formerly known as Twitter), has declared his intention to file a "thermonuclear lawsuit" against Media Matters for America, a US media watchdog. This comes after the watchdog claimed that advertisements from major brands such as IBM, Apple, Oracle, and Comcast's Xfinity were appearing alongside antisemitic content on the platform. The controversy began when a social media user pushed the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which claims that Jewish communities are promoting hatred against white people. This theory was referenced by the gunman responsible for the 2018 antisemitic attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue. Musk responded to the post, stating, "You have said the actual truth."

In response to the controversy and the exodus of advertisers, including Disney, Apple, and Comcast, Musk criticized the advertisers as the "greatest oppressors" of free speech. He announced his plans to file a lawsuit against Media Matters and anyone involved in the "fraudulent attack" on his company. IBM and Apple have already suspended their advertising on the platform while they investigate the situation, and other companies such as Lions Gate Entertainment and Paramount Global have also joined the exodus.

Critics argue that Musk has allowed hate to flourish on the platform since he took over and rebranded it as X. They warn that his plans for the social network could lead to an increase in hate speech. This recent outbreak of antisemitic content, including posts from Musk himself, has caused major advertisers to flee the platform. Amid the controversy, X's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, has emphasized the platform's commitment to combating antisemitism and discrimination. However, critics argue that X has been accused of enabling antisemitism in the past, and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has noted that Musk has aligned himself with antisemitic campaigns.

The ADL and other critics have accused X of failing to take down hate content and allowing neo-Nazis to profit from the platform's revenue-sharing program. A study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate alleged that X only removed 1% of hate content flagged by the group. X disputes these findings.

The controversy surrounding X comes at a time when antisemitism is on the rise globally, and the Israel-Hamas conflict has added to the tense cultural backdrop. The White House has also criticized Musk for promoting antisemitic and racist hate, calling his actions "abhorrent.".