Judge Dismisses Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against Anti-Hate Research Organization

The ruling by United States District Judge Charles R. Breyer today was a setback for Elon Musk and X, as their lawsuit against the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) was dismissed. The lawsuit, which targeted the nonprofit organization over its research on online hate, alleged that the CCDH spread misleading claims that harmed X’s reputation and financial interests.

In their lawsuit, Musk and X accused the CCDH of unlawfully scraping data and violating platform rules by aggregating content using a third-party monitoring tool. Musk, who personally directed the lawsuit and referred to the CCDH as “an evil propaganda machine,” claimed that X suffered significant financial losses due to the CCDH’s reports.

Last year, the CCDH filed a motion to strike X’s claims under California’s Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) law, which aims to deter frivolous lawsuits intended to intimidate. The organization accused Musk of prolonging the legal process to increase its legal expenses.

Judge Breyer granted the CCDH’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, emphasizing that it was apparent that the lawsuit was brought by X to punish the CCDH for its critical publications and potentially deter others from engaging in similar criticism.

The ruling represents a significant victory for the CCDH and underscores the importance of protecting free speech and preventing the abuse of legal processes to silence critics.