A Texas federal judge has ruled against dismissing X’s lawsuit targeting Media Matters, a watchdog organization accused of defaming the social media giant. The lawsuit arises from a Media Matters report alleging that X, previously known as Twitter, placed major brand ads alongside extremist content.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth determined that X can pursue claims that Media Matters intentionally and maliciously fabricated images showing ads from notable companies next to neo-Nazi content. X contends that these actions led some advertisers to halt or reduce their spending on the platform.
Judge O’Connor dismissed Media Matters’ arguments that their report, which they claim was accurate, should be protected under free speech. He noted that X has presented sufficient evidence of “actual malice” in the watchdog’s reporting.
Both X and Media Matters did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Media Matters has defended its report as a truthful account of the platform’s handling of extremist content, while the social media company argues the report was intended to damage its reputation and business.
The report, published in November, highlighted advertisements from companies like IBM, Apple, Oracle, and Comcast’s Xfinity appearing next to posts glorifying Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. This followed a controversial statement by Elon Musk, who endorsed a false claim about Jewish people on the platform before later apologizing.
X’s lawsuit was filed in Fort Worth, a venue favored by conservative litigants, accusing Media Matters of publishing the report with the intent to harm X’s business. Media Matters challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the reporting activity was not connected to Texas. However, Judge O’Connor ruled that the inclusion of Texas-based companies in the report justified the court’s jurisdiction.
The case is set to proceed in the Northern District of Texas under the docket number 4:23-cv-01175.
