X (Twitter) is getting sued for filing lawsuits unlawfully

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Media Matters for America, a nonprofit media watchdog, has filed a lawsuit against X (formerly Twitter) and its owner, Elon Musk, accusing them of harassment and an unfair legal campaign against the organization.

The conflict began in 2023 when Media Matters reported that X had placed advertisements next to pro-Nazi content on its platform. 

This report angered X, which then sued Media Matters in three different locations: the US, Ireland, and Singapore, claiming that the report damaged its relationships with advertisers.

Now, Media Matters is fighting back, arguing that X violated its own rules by filing these lawsuits in multiple places. 

According to X’s Terms of Service at the time, any legal disputes were supposed to be handled only in courts in San Francisco, California, where the company was headquartered. However, X ignored this rule and took the cases elsewhere.

In response, Media Matters is asking the court for two things. (Via: The Verge)

First, it wants financial compensation for the millions of dollars it has spent defending itself in these lawsuits. 

Second, it wants a court order to prevent X from filing more lawsuits outside the US or continuing its ongoing cases in Ireland and Singapore.

X, however, changed its Terms of Service last year, requiring lawsuits to be handled in Texas instead of California. 

This happened after Musk moved the company’s offices from California to Texas. A judge in Texas ruled in favor of X, allowing the case against Media Matters to proceed. 

On the other hand, a judge in California recently dismissed a similar lawsuit that X had filed against another watchdog group, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH). That judge ruled that X was trying to punish the organization for criticizing it.

In its Texas lawsuit, X argues that Media Matters intentionally manipulated its system to make it look like ads appeared next to hateful content. Media Matters denies this and says X is simply trying to punish them for exposing the truth.

Got any thoughts on this suit? Do you think X (Twitter) is in the wrong here? Tell us below in the comments, or reach out to us via our Twitter or Facebook.