A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, has found that hate speech on X, formerly Twitter, increased by 50% in the months following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform. The research, published in the Public Library of Science journal, analysed English-language posts from October 2022, when Musk took over, until June 2023, when he stepped down as CEO.
The study used artificial intelligence (AI) to randomly collect posts containing hate speech-related terms. Researchers manually sorted through them to verify content and remove duplicates. A control group of posts from January 2022 onwards was also examined to compare trends before and after Musk’s acquisition.
During this period, engagement with hate speech posts—measured by likes—rose by 70%. Posts containing homophobic, transphobic, and racist slurs gained greater visibility, suggesting more users were exposed to harmful content. “The increases in hate speech we see are concerning because that may mean marginalised communities feel unwelcome or unsafe on the platform,” said Dan Hickey, a Berkeley PhD student involved in the study.
Despite Musk’s promises to reduce bots and inauthentic accounts, the report found no significant decrease in such activity. The study follows similar findings from organisations like the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and the Centre for Countering Digital Hate.
While researchers could not make firm conclusions about Musk’s direct role in the increase, they noted significant leadership changes, including the disbanding of the Trust and Safety Advisory Council. “To really draw a definitive connection, one would need to know exactly what changed and when,” said Daniel Fessler, an anthropology professor at Berkeley.
X maintains that it remains committed to content moderation, stating that “freedom of speech doesn’t mean freedom of reach.” The company recently reported suspending over 2,000 accounts and removing nearly five million hateful posts in early 2024.
