On November twenty third, Elon Musk tweeted that hate speech “impressions” have been down by one third on the platform, together with a graph and a victorious congratulations to his workers. During the identical interval, the precise use of hate speech on Twitter rose exponentially, based on new analysis.

Data from the Center for Countering Digital Hate reveals that use of the n-word on Twitter tripled within the week main as much as Musk’s tweet, in comparison with the every day common for the complete month prior to Musk’s takeover of the platform on October twenty seventh. Tweets containing slurs for homosexual, transgender, Jewish, and Latino folks noticed related dramatic spikes.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate’s analysis used knowledge from Brandwatch, an analytics platform. They discovered the n-word was used 30,546 occasions from November 18th to twenty fourth, the week main as much as Musk’s claims. That’s 260% than the weekly common for 2022. During that week, a slur for homosexual males rose 91%; a slur for transgender folks rose 63%; a slur for Jews rose 12%; and a slur for Latinos rose 64%.

“Elon Musk has again been exposed as misleading users and advertisers, claiming mission accomplished despite his clear failure to meet his own self-proclaimed standards to clamp down on vicious bigotry,” mentioned Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, in a press launch. “Community standards ensure users feel welcome and advertisers’ brands are safe.”

The knowledge doesn’t instantly contradict Musk’s claims. However, it demonstrates that Musk’s victory lap might have been disingenuous, suggesting that issues have been bettering on Twitter whereas the platform was the truth is being leveraged as a device for hate. The Tesla CEO referenced impressions, a metric that measures how many individuals see a bit of content material, versus the variety of occasions hateful slurs have been utilized in tweets.

Twitter didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Twitter doesn’t have a communications division at current after Musk laid off half the corporate.

The menace of poisonous content material on Twitter has already pushed a mass exodus of advertisers, threatening the corporate’s backside line. In November, a coalition of civil rights teams known as on advertisers to boycott Twitter after Musk reinstated former president Donald Trump’s account. It’s clear that the majority advertisers who froze Twitter spending did so as a result of they feared working advertisements alongside poisonous content material may threaten their backside line. Still, Musk tweeted that the advertisers have been simply responding to strain from activist teams who’re “trying to destroy free speech in America.”

On Friday, Twitter rebanned Ye, previously generally known as Kanye West, for tweeting a picture of a swastika. Musk had welcomed again West after his Twitter account was frozen for a tweet threatening to go “death con three [sic] on Jewish people.” The determination to as soon as once more take away West contradicts Musk’s ever altering place on what must be allowed on the platform. Musk beforehand mentioned he would permit any speech on Twitter that didn’t violate the legislation, however appears to be recognizing that stance wasn’t nicely thought out.

Even Musk himself acknowledged the spike in hate speech on the platform following his Twitter acquisition. He adopted his graph about hate speech impressions by tweeting “I have half a mind to wag my finger at the 1500 accounts that caused the spike, but I shall forebear,” including an eye-rolling emoji.

Musk beforehand mentioned that whereas he would permit hate speech on the platform, it will be down-ranked within the algorithm so fewer folks would see it, a tactic that has been broadly criticized by specialists. “His ‘freedom of speech, not freedom of reach’ approach is not especially defined in practice,” based on Bond Benton, affiliate professor of public relations at Montclair State University, who’s studied hate speech on Twitter.

Research means that trolls on 4chan organized a marketing campaign to deliberately unfold hate speech on Twitter in a perverse celebration of Musk’s arrival at Twitter, based on the Network Contagion Research Institute, a nonprofit which research social threats on-line. A study from Montclair State University co-authored by Bond discovered an “immediate, visible, and measurable spike” in slurs and racial epithets within the hours following Musk’s takeover.

An further study from Montclair State University, additionally co-authored by Bond, discovered an increase in assaults on the LGBTQ+ neighborhood after the Colorado Springs Shooting. The researchers discovered a spike within the phrase “groomer” and associated phrases, which is used to dehumanize and goal LGBTQ+ folks by suggesting the LGBTQ+ motion is an effort to advertise youngster sexual abuse, a declare that has no foundation in actuality.

Bond mentioned the time period groomer “was prevalent, widely viewed, and included threatening tweets that were not removed.” According to Bond, the phrase groomer was beforehand restricted on Twitter. “The presence of hate on the platform has remained elevated since Musk took over,” he mentioned. “In general, trends look deeply problematic on the platform.”

Shortly earlier than leaving Twitter, Yoel Roth, the corporate’s former head of security and integrity, tweeted that the group had “been focused on addressing the surge in hateful conduct on Twitter” and eliminated greater than 1500 accounts for violating guidelines about hate speech. In an interview this week, he mentioned that he now not believed Twitter had turn into a safer place in Musk’s arms.

Questions about speech are simply one other in a collection of seemingly deceptive claims from Musk since shopping for Twitter. On Monday, Elon Musk picked a public struggle with Apple, accusing the corporate of freezing its promoting on Twitter and questioning aloud if the alleged pause was as a result of “they hate free speech in America.” In reality, Apple spent $84,615 on Twitter advertisements that exact same day, based on knowledge from Pathmatics, a digital advert analytics firm. The knowledge means that Apple’s Twitter promoting really elevated in November, topping $1 million.

Update: 12/02/2022 12:11 p.m. ET: This story has been up to date with additonal commentary and particulars about analysis from Montclair State University, in addition to details about Musk’s claims concerning Twitter promoting.