• The Centre for Countering Digital Hate has highlighted how slow Twitter/X is to take action on extreme hate speech.
• Of 300 posts containing extreme hate speech, 86 percent remained available a week after reporting.
• Some accounts in clear violation of Twitter/X’s own rules are still posting content freely and without that content having its reach visibly limited.

An analysis of 300 posts containing extreme hate speech reveals that Twitter/X has a content moderation problem.

The platform’s content moderation policy is encapsulated in the all-too-vague promise of “freedom of speech not freedom of reach“. The idea here is that if the majority of users don’t see offensive content it’s not doing any harm.

The problem here is that the Centre for Countering Digital Hate has found posts promoting antisemitism, racism, neo-Nazism, and white supremacy on Twitter/X with the platform dragging its feet in taking action on this content.

The non-profit organisation says that it reported 300 posts for the above transgressions on 30th and 31st August. Those posts were then reviewed one week later on 7th September and 86 percent of the accounts posting the content remained active.

This is notable as many of the accounts highlighted by the CCDH post a constant stream of hate speech. One account we looked at doesn’t appear to have any of its content limited despite posting a steady stream of Holocaust denial, racism and worse.

Twitter/X only took action on three of the accounts reported by CCDH by the time it reviewed the accounts.

As of time of writing, the content reported by CCDH has largely been removed or had its reach limited but many accounts posting the most vile content remain active.

This content also tends to appear alongside advertising with adverts from Supermicro appearing between two posts praising Nazis. There was even an Apple ad above a post about Holocaust denial.

While Twitter/X will point to some posts being limited as evidence that the system is working that ignores the real problem here – terrible people feel comfortable posting their hatred on the platform for all to see and find. One account we looked at posts a stream of antisemitic content almost exclusively. The entire account is a clear violation of Twitter/X’s rules but that content is available to view without restrictions.

We should point out that the CCDH is currently involved in a lawsuit with Elon Musk and while that makes it somewhat biased in this matter, the problem it has highlighted is worth addressing.

If Musk wants to build an everything app he’s going to have to make it a lot more inclusive, no matter how much he wants to play the role of edge-lord.