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☆ Elon Musk worries free speech advocates with his calls to prosecute researchers and critics
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-13 | by ( David Ingram | Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

He cited X's increasing compliance with foreign governments' demands to censor content on the platform and the lawsuits against the Center for Countering Digital Hate and Media Matters. X has a pending lawsuit against Media Matters and a pending appeal in a lawsuit that X lost against the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed an amicus brief in support of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The feud between Musk and the Center for Countering Digital Hate has continued. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, also criticized the Center for Countering Digital Hate on Thursday, sending the organization a demand for documents related to the "Kill Musk's Twitter" language.

Persons: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Anna Moneymaker, Musk, Victoria Nuland, Nadine Strossen, Trump, Strossen, they're, Aaron Terr, Terr, there's, Michael Gerhardt, Chapel Hill, —, X, Charles Breyer, Imran Ahmed, Elon, Ahmed, Jim Jordan Organizations: Republican, State Department, Center, American Civil Liberties Union, New York Law School, SpaceX, Justice Department, Foundation, Rights, Hate, Media, NBC News, NBC, Media Matters, University of North, Chapel, Department, The Justice, District, ACLU, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Columbia University, Racket, Federal Government Locations: Butler , Pennsylvania, University of North Carolina, U.S, Ohio

“Any disputes Musk has with his critics should play out in the court of public opinion, not a court of law,” Terr said. Musk and representatives at X did not respond to requests for comment on his calls for prosecution. Musk and X have sometimes found allies among members of Congress or state attorneys general who have launched investigations. “The First Amendment obviously protects both Musk and his critics in making public pronouncements about each other,” he said in an email. The feud between Musk and the Center for Countering Digital Hate has continued.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Victoria Nuland, ”, ” Musk, Donald Trump, Nadine Strossen, Trump, Strossen, they’re, ” Aaron Terr, ” Terr, there’s, Michael Gerhardt, Chapel Hill, —, X, Charles Breyer, Imran Ahmed, “ Elon Musk, “, ” Ahmed, Ahmed, Jim Jordan, Travis Brown, Brown, Aaron Greenspan, PlainSite, Greenspan, Jack Sweeney, Sweeney, Taylor Swift, he’s, “ Trump Organizations: State Department, Center, American Civil Liberties Union, New York Law School, “, SpaceX, Justice Department, Foundation, Rights, Hate, Media, NBC News, NBC, Media Matters, University of North, Chapel, Department, The Justice, District, ACLU, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Columbia University, Constitution, Racket, Twitter, Federal Government, World Federation, Internet, Wired, Washington Post Locations: University of North Carolina, U.S, Ohio, Texas, San Francisco

☆ Elon Musk’s X lawsuit against Media Matters scheduled for trial in April
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A lawsuit brought by Elon Musk’s X against the nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters has been scheduled for a trial in April 2025, according to a court filing. Thursday’s order by the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas sets the date for a high-profile showdown over Media Matters’ research highlighting antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on the social media platform. In November, X sued Media Matters, alleging that the group went out of its way to misrepresent the likelihood that users may encounter hate speech on the platform. Media Matters declined to comment. Media Matters President Angelo Carusone has previously called X’s suit “frivolous” and an attempt to silence Musk’s critics.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, X, Angelo Carusone, Musk, ”, Charles Breyer, ” Breyer Organizations: CNN, Media, US, Court, Northern, Northern District of, Center Locations: Northern District, Northern District of Texas, California, Northern District of California

☆ Elon Musk may have a point in his fight against Brazil, but he's not actually helping
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk said he would ignore the order and demanded that Brazil uphold free speech principles. Musk's voice isn't helping the country's debate on free speech, a civil liberties expert told BI. AdvertisementElon Musk is wading into a war with Brazil over orders from the country's Supreme Court to ban certain X accounts that helped spread election misinformation. However, the country's protection of free speech is not absolute, giving the federal government greater discretion to ban certain types of speech — like hate speech. And it's this type of speech that Musk is going to bat for in Brazil — speech that can have serious implications for the country.

Persons: Elon Musk, —, Elon, isn't, Musk, Alexandre de Moraes, de Moraes, De Moraes, Jair Bolsonaro, Alimonti, Bolsonaro, Donald Trump, country's, brazenly, Jack Dorsey, Charles Breyer, Musk's, Breyer Organizations: Brazilian, Court, Service, Associated Press, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Nazi, Musk, Business, X Corp, Media Matters Locations: Brazil, China, India, Turkey

☆ Judge’s stern rebuke of Elon Musk’s X gives critics fresh hope
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A federal judge’s decision this week reprimanding Elon Musk’s X will have reverberating effects on efforts to hold influential online platforms accountable, legal experts and advocacy groups say. Breyer held that the reports were “unquestionably” protected by the group’s free speech rights. Now, that decision could embolden other research groups and Musk critics who have faced legal threats from the billionaire. Researchers face hurdles to studying on-platform behaviorResearchers from non-profits and academic institutions have had a harder time studying X since Musk’s takeover in 2022. But one of Musk’s first changes at X was to put access to platform data behind a steep paywall.

Persons: reprimanding Elon Musk’s, Charles Breyer, Breyer, CCDH, X, Northern District of California —, Musk, White, Elon, ”, Alex Abdo, ” Abdo, Angelo Carusone, Carusone, Andrew Bailey, “, ” Carusone, David Karpf, ” Karpf, Nora Benavidez, Benavidez Organizations: CNN, Center, Court, Northern, Northern District of, Columbia University, “ Society, Twitter, Anti, Defamation League, Microsoft, Meta, Media, AGs, School of Media, Public Affairs, George Washington University, ” Free Press, Free Press Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, Texas, Missouri

☆ Federal judge tosses Elon Musk’s case against hate speech watchdog CCDH
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A federal judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s X that had targeted a watchdog group for its critical reports about hate speech on the social media platform. In a blistering 52-page order, the judge blasted X’s case as plainly punitive rather than about protecting the platform’s security and legal rights. X has blamed CCDH’s reports, which showcase the prevalence of hate speech on the platform, for amplifying brand safety concerns and driving advertisers away from the site. In the suit, X claimed that it had suffered tens of millions of dollars in damages from CCDH’s publications. “If CCDH’s publications were defamatory, that would be one thing, but X Corp. has carefully avoided saying that they are,” Breyer wrote.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, ”, Charles Breyer, ” Breyer, X, CCDH’s, Musk, Alex Jones, Breyer, “, CCDH, X’s, Imran Ahmed, @CCDHate, @ElonMusk’s @X, ” Ahmed, Ahmed, “ X Organizations: CNN, Court, Northern, Northern District of, Twitter, X Corp, Center Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, Newtown , Connecticut, California, San Francisco

☆ Lawsuit by Elon Musk's X was an attempt to punish free speech, judge rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewA lawsuit that Elon Musk's X filed last year against a research group was thrown out Monday, with US District Judge Charles Breyer saying, "This case is about punishing the Defendants for their speech." But Breyer wrote "there can be no mistaking" that the real motive of the suit was to bully X's critics into silence. Related storiesWhen asked for comment on the decision, the press email for X replied, "Busy now, please check back later." Musk has previously said he's a "free speech absolutist" and that his "thermonuclear" lawsuits against media-watchdog groups are about "protecting free speech."

Persons: —, Elon Musk's X, Charles Breyer, X, Breyer, Musk, Imran Ahmed, lawfare Organizations: Service, US, Northern District of, Business, X Corp, Media Matters Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ Lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's X against nonprofit CCDH thrown out by judge on free speech grounds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge in California dismissed a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's X against the nonprofit Center for Countering Digital Hate, writing in a judgement Monday that the "case is about punishing the Defendants for their speech." X sued the research group in July, accusing it of implementing a "scare campaign" to drive away advertisers. The company also accused CCDH of improperly accessing data from the platform and selectively picking posts to "falsely claim" that X is "overwhelmed with harmful content." CCDH also found that Twitter failed to act on 89% of anti-Jewish hate speech and 97% of anti-Muslim hate speech on the platform. In one instance, X has sued an Israeli web data collection company called Bright Data over its allegedly unauthorized scraping of data from its social media platform.

Persons: Elon Musk's, X, CCDH, Musk, Charles Breyer, Breyer, Roberta Kaplan, Donald Trump, E, Jean Carroll, Trump, Carroll, Xfinity Organizations: CCDH, Northern District of, Twitter, CNBC, X, Bright, Media Matters, America, Apple, Bravo, IBM, Oracle Locations: California, Northern District, Northern District of California, Silicon Valley, Texas

☆ Federal judge mocks Elon Musk’s X lawsuit targeting hate speech researchers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A high-profile lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s X targeting hate speech researchers appeared to stumble on Thursday as a federal judge sounded a skeptical note on many of the lawsuit’s allegations, suggesting that the company formerly known as Twitter hasn’t done enough to establish its claims. The judge in the case signaled he may toss out X’s claims but appeared undecided on whether to let the company amend and refile the suit. X has also blamed CCDH’s reports, which showcase the prevalence of hate speech on the platform, for amplifying brand safety concerns and driving advertisers away from the site. “You could have brought a defamation case; you didn’t bring a defamation case,” Breyer told X attorney Jonathan Hawk. Elon Musk, owner of X, attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, X, CCDH, CCDH’s, Charles Breyer, ” Breyer, Jonathan Hawk, Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Breyer, Hawk, “, ” Hawk, I’ve, John Quinn Organizations: CNN, Center, Twitter, Nazi, Viva Technology, Porte de, CCDH Locations: San Francisco federal, Paris, France

Companies Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc FollowMay 17 (Reuters) - Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) has reached a $230 million settlement with San Francisco over its alleged role in that city's opioid epidemic, city attorney David Chiu said on Wednesday. Chiu said the accord followed a trial where the court found Walgreens substantially contributed to the epidemic and created a public nuisance. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer had ruled last August that the drugstore chain failed to properly investigate suspicious opioid orders for nearly 15 years. Walgreens had been the only remaining defendant, after several drugmakers and distributors had settled with the city. San Francisco subsequently estimated it might cost $8.1 billion to abate the opioid crisis, and said Walgreens was legally liable for the entire amount.

☆ Walgreens reaches $230 million opioid settlement with San Francisco
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

San Francisco said on Wednesday it reached a $230 million settlement with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc over its role in the city’s opioid epidemic. Breyer faulted Walgreens for its “15-year failure” to properly scrutinize opioid prescriptions and flag possible misuse of the sometimes highly addictive drugs. At a press conference, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu called Walgreens’ settlement the largest awarded to a local government in years of opioid litigation nationwide. Breyer found that Walgreens’ San Francisco pharmacies had received more than 1.2 million opioid prescriptions with “red flags” from 2006 to 2020, yet performed due diligence on less than 5% before dispensing them. Last May, Walgreens reached a $683 million opioid settlement with Florida, paying more than three-quarters of the $878 million that four other companies, including rival CVS Health Corp, agreed to pay in similar, earlier settlements.

Meta and Dfinity asked the court Monday to dismiss the case with prejudice, which means it cannot be revived. Dfinity sued Meta last year, alleging the logo Meta adopted after changing its name from Facebook would cause confusion with Dfinity's infinity-symbol trademarks. Meta is still facing trademark lawsuits from virtual-reality company MetaX and investment firm Metacapital over its name change. The case is Dfinity Foundation v. Meta Platforms Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. For Dfinity: Dennis Ellis, Keith Wesley and Katherine Murray of Ellis George Cipollone O'Brien AnnagueyFor Meta: Bobby Ghajar and Angela Dunning of CooleyRead more:Meta hit with trademark lawsuit over new infinity-symbol logoMeta defeats trademark lawsuit over infinity-symbol logoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The settlement, first reported by Reuters in June, covers 2005 through 2020 model year Porsche vehicles. Owners accused the automaker of physically altering test vehicles that affected emissions and fuel economy results. "We are committed to providing our customers with transparent fuel economy and emissions data, and the agreement ensures that customers are fairly reimbursed for any fuel economy changes," it added. Under the settlement, owners of Porsche vehicles with "Sport+" driving mode that exceeded emissions limits when driven in that mode will get an additional $250 when they complete emissions repair software updates that will reduce vehicle emissions. The total U.S. settlement could be worth $85 million depending on how many vehicle claims are submitted.

☆ Federal judge rules Walgreens advanced San Francisco's opioid epidemic by dispensing 'hundreds of thousands of red flag prescriptions'
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-11 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A federal judge ruled Walgreens failed to investigate thousands of "suspicious orders" for opioids. "Walgreens pharmacies dispensed large volumes of medically illegitimate opioid prescriptions that were diverted for illicit use," the ruling states. Rates of opioid abuse and drug overdoses have grown significantly in San Francisco in recent years. In a 112-page opinion, US District Judge Charles Breyer wrote Walgreens "dispensed hundreds of thousands of red flag opioid prescriptions without performing adequate due diligence" adding that the prescriptions "were written by doctors with suspect prescribing patterns," according to court documents. The opioid epidemic has accelerated significantly in the city of San Francisco, with emergency-room visits tied to opioid abuse increasing threefold from 2015 to 2020, the court documents state.

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