International

Hate speech in X increased by 50% since Elon Musk bought it, according to a study

Hate speech on the social network X increased by approximately 50% and bot accounts did not decrease after tycoon Elon Musk bought the platform in 2022, according to a study by the University of California on Wednesday.

The research, which covered the period between January 1, 2022 and June 9, 2023, and was published in the magazine PLOS ONE, revealed that the increase in hate speech continued an upward trend until May 2023, when it reached its peak.

According to this study, the average number of posts containing hate speech in X went from 2,179 weekly posts before Musk’s purchase to 3,246 after. Or what is the same, they increased by 50%.

In addition, the study pointed out that in that same period the activity on the social network increased by 8%, ruling out that it was the responsibility of new users and stating that the content on the platform did migrate to this tone.

Even so, the researchers who participated in the work clarified that the increase in this type of content in X began before Musk’s arrival.

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On October 27, 2022, Tesla’s CEO formalized the purchase of the then Twitter for about 44 billion dollars claiming that he did it “for the future of civilization.”

When he acquired it, he recognized that social networks ran the risk of increasing polarization and assured that “they could not become a free hell for everyone, where anything can be said without consequences,” but that they had to “respect the laws.”

However, this study shows that Musk would not have achieved the goal that was supposedly proposed at the beginning, since there was a greater use of homophobic, transphobic and racist insults since he runs the platform.

One of the moments that generated the most hate speech in X was the advertising campaign of the Bud Light beer brand in which the actress and trans activist Dylan Mulvaney participated.

In fact, a boycott campaign of the products of this beer brand was initiated by far-right groups where the social network played an important role.

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Although attacks on trans people increased during this period, they did not overcome homophobes and racists, who although they also grew, were already older before the arrival of the tycoon.

After analyzing the publications, the study stated that 37% of hate messages are responses to other comments, 36% are new publications, 19% are republications and 7% are citations to other content.

On the other hand, it was detected that bot accounts – the automated accounts that simulate interaction in networks – did not decrease, but quite the opposite, the study perceived an amulet of those that promoted cryptocurrencies.

A business for which both Musk and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, for whom he works from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have bet on several occasions.

The professors pointed to the dissolution of the Trust and Security Advisory Council, which advised on content moderation, and the migration of some users to other social networks, precisely because of the drift that it was taking, as some of the possible causes that have brought X here.

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“The prevalence of online hate is related to hate crimes outside. Victims of hatred often report diminished psychological well-being,” they warned.

International

Maduro urges UN to intervene for venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador

Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for a third term in January following his controversial re-election, urged United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk to intervene on behalf of Venezuelan migrants detained in El Salvador after being deported from the United States.

During a broadcast on the state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Maduro claimed these Venezuelans were “kidnapped”, forcibly disappeared, and held in “concentration camps.”

He also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for failing to release the list of migrants deported on March 16, who were allegedly accused of belonging to the transnational gang Tren de Aragua, which originated in a Venezuelan prison.

“Reports say there are 238 Venezuelans kidnapped in prisons, in concentration camps, in El Salvador. A week after they were taken and thrown into these camps, neither the U.S. government nor Nayib Bukele have published the list of those they have kidnapped in El Salvador,” Maduro stated, calling it a “forced disappearance.”

International

Canada updates U.S. travel advisory amid immigration policy changes

In a coordinated action with several European allies, Canada has updated its travel advisory for citizens visiting the United States, citing changes in immigration policies and law enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Finland have issued similar warnings, highlighting stricter border screenings, tighter visa restrictions, and new federal guidelines that particularly affect transgender and non-binary travelers.

These advisories reflect growing diplomatic concerns over how the recent U.S. policy shifts are impacting foreign visitors, especially tourists and long-term travelers. Additionally, this marks a rare instance in which multiple NATO allies publicly warn their citizens about travel to the United States.

International

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to meet with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum on friday

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum next Friday.

According to statements made to Fox News, the Trump administration official will travel this week to El Salvador, Colombia, and Mexico.

On Wednesday, Noem is scheduled to meet with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, with whom she will tour the mega-prison built to detain gang members in the country.

On Thursday, she will visit Colombia, where she will hold talks with President Gustavo Petro and top law enforcement officials.

On Friday, Noem will be in Mexico, where she is expected to meet with President Claudia Sheinbaum and Foreign Affairs Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente.