Media Matters has escalated its battle with Elon Musk’s X, filing a lawsuit Monday accusing the social media platform of waging an “abusive” and costly legal campaign in retaliation for its reporting on X’s advertising policies.
The watchdog group, in a complaint lodged in a San Francisco federal court, is seeking to halt two international cases that X has filed against it in Ireland and Singapore. Additionally, it wants a court ruling that California should be the venue for any legal disputes tied to X’s terms of service. The move comes as X continues to pursue a separate lawsuit against Media Matters in Texas.
“X launched a vendetta-driven campaign of libel tourism across three countries, all stemming from the same issue: Media Matters’ lawful use of X’s platform and its accurate reporting on the results,” the lawsuit claims.
The dispute centers on Media Matters’ investigation, which alleged that major brands’ ads were appearing alongside far-right extremist content on X—prompting some advertisers to pause or withdraw from the platform. X has accused the group of fabricating images and defaming the company, while Media Matters has firmly denied the allegations, insisting its reporting was accurate.
Media Matters says it has spent millions defending itself from what it calls a meritless attack. Meanwhile, a Texas judge previously refused to dismiss X’s lawsuit there, despite the watchdog arguing that the case lacked jurisdiction.
X, formerly Twitter, has made moves to shift legal battles to Texas, where it relocated its headquarters after Musk’s $44 billion takeover in 2022. The company recently revised its terms of service to direct user disputes to federal court in Texas’ Northern District, a jurisdiction known for rulings favorable to conservative litigants.
The legal showdown underscores the increasingly hostile relationship between Musk’s X and media watchdogs scrutinizing its content policies.
