International
Hate speech in X increased by 50% since Elon Musk bought it, according to a study
Hate speech on the social network X increased by approximately 50% and bot accounts did not decrease after tycoon Elon Musk bought the platform in 2022, according to a study by the University of California on Wednesday.
The research, which covered the period between January 1, 2022 and June 9, 2023, and was published in the magazine PLOS ONE, revealed that the increase in hate speech continued an upward trend until May 2023, when it reached its peak.
According to this study, the average number of posts containing hate speech in X went from 2,179 weekly posts before Musk’s purchase to 3,246 after. Or what is the same, they increased by 50%.
In addition, the study pointed out that in that same period the activity on the social network increased by 8%, ruling out that it was the responsibility of new users and stating that the content on the platform did migrate to this tone.
Even so, the researchers who participated in the work clarified that the increase in this type of content in X began before Musk’s arrival.
On October 27, 2022, Tesla’s CEO formalized the purchase of the then Twitter for about 44 billion dollars claiming that he did it “for the future of civilization.”
When he acquired it, he recognized that social networks ran the risk of increasing polarization and assured that “they could not become a free hell for everyone, where anything can be said without consequences,” but that they had to “respect the laws.”
However, this study shows that Musk would not have achieved the goal that was supposedly proposed at the beginning, since there was a greater use of homophobic, transphobic and racist insults since he runs the platform.
One of the moments that generated the most hate speech in X was the advertising campaign of the Bud Light beer brand in which the actress and trans activist Dylan Mulvaney participated.
In fact, a boycott campaign of the products of this beer brand was initiated by far-right groups where the social network played an important role.
Although attacks on trans people increased during this period, they did not overcome homophobes and racists, who although they also grew, were already older before the arrival of the tycoon.
After analyzing the publications, the study stated that 37% of hate messages are responses to other comments, 36% are new publications, 19% are republications and 7% are citations to other content.
On the other hand, it was detected that bot accounts – the automated accounts that simulate interaction in networks – did not decrease, but quite the opposite, the study perceived an amulet of those that promoted cryptocurrencies.
A business for which both Musk and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, for whom he works from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have bet on several occasions.
The professors pointed to the dissolution of the Trust and Security Advisory Council, which advised on content moderation, and the migration of some users to other social networks, precisely because of the drift that it was taking, as some of the possible causes that have brought X here.
“The prevalence of online hate is related to hate crimes outside. Victims of hatred often report diminished psychological well-being,” they warned.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
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