https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-66376988
The firm that owns Twitter, now called X, is suing an anti-hate organisation whose research criticised the platform.X Corp has accused the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which has offices in the US and the UK, of "unlawful acts" to "improperly gain access" to its data.In response, CCDH accused X Corp owner, Elon Musk, of trying to silence anyone who criticised him.Mr Musk has previously said that he is a "free-speech absolutist".CCDH is a not-for-profit organisation that researches and campaigns against online hate. Its reports have been widely cited in the press, including by the BBC. Conservative MP Damian Collins serves on its UK board."I think it's extraordinary that Elon Musk has done this. It's almost like a form of 'lawfare', where a very well-resourced organisation is threatening a very small one",the former minister told The TimesThe chief executive of CCDH, Imran Ahmed, said in a statement: "Elon Musk's latest legal threat is straight out of the authoritarian playbook - he is now showing he will stop at nothing to silence anyone who criticises him."CCDH research had shown that hate and disinformation was "spreading like wildfire on the platform under Musk's ownership", Mr Ahmed claimed.He accused the X Corp boss of attempting to "shoot the messenger".News of the legal case, filed on Monday, emerged shortly after a fiery exchange of legal letters - the first, threatening legal action - from X Corp lawyer Alex Spiro was followed by a forthright response from CCDH's US lawyer Roberta Kaplan.