Use of N-word on Twitter spikes to nearly 500% amid Elon Musk's takeover: report

Just days after Elon Musk officially bought Twitter for $44 billion, spam accounts have taken over the social media platform, testing the limits of its content moderation policies.

Recent data from the Network Contagion Research Institute, an organization that forecasts emerging online threats, found that the use of the N-word jumped by nearly 500% in the 12 hours immediately after Musk closed the deal.

It said that “bad actors” were encouraging users to “amplify derogatory slurs.”

Evidence suggests that bad actors are trying to test the limits on @Twitter. Several posts on 4chan encourage users to amplify derogatory slurs.

For example, over the last 12 hours, the use of the n-word has increased nearly 500% from the previous average. pic.twitter.com/mEqziaWuMF

— Network Contagion Research Institute (@ncri_io) October 28, 2022

The Washington Post did a deep dive into some of these “anonymous” accounts that are using Musk’s brand as a “free speech absolutist” as a green light to promote racism and bigotry.

“Elon now controls Twitter. Unleash the racial slurs,” said one account, using slurs for Jewish and Black people, according to The Post.

“I can freely express how much I hate [racial slur] … now, thank you elon,” another said using a slur for Black people, reported the outlet.

Twitter’s Head of Safety and Integrity Yoel Roth addressed these accounts in a thread on Saturday.

Roth called the spike in racist tweets a “trolling campaign” and assured people that the social media platform’s policies haven’t changed.

“Hateful conduct has no place here,” he tweeted. “We’re taking steps to put a stop to an organized effort to make people think we have.”

For reference, Twitter’s Hateful conduct policy states that users cannot “promote violence against or directly attack or threaten other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.”

However, Roth clarifies that this doesn’t mean that the company has a list of words that are always banned.

“Context matters. For example, our policies are written to protect reclaimed speech,” he tweeted.

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He added that in the 48 hours immediately after Musk’s takeover, more than 50,000 tweets repeatedly using a particular slur came from just 300 accounts.

“Nearly all of these accounts are inauthentic,” he said. “We’ve taken action to ban the users involved in this trolling campaign — and are going to continue working to address this in the days to come to make Twitter safe and welcoming for everyone.”

Nearly all of these accounts are inauthentic. We’ve taken action to ban the users involved in this trolling campaign — and are going to continue working to address this in the days to come to make Twitter safe and welcoming for everyone. https://t.co/1hUnb1WYPZ

— Yoel Roth (@yoyoel) October 30, 2022

Many celebrities have already expressed concern about how Musk’s takeover is encouraging these racist accounts.

“I hope [Musk] and his people take this very seriously because this is scary AF. So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech,” tweeted NBA star Lebron James.

I dont know Elon Musk and, tbh, I could care less who owns twitter. But I will say that if this is true, I hope he and his people take this very seriously because this is scary AF. So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech. https://t.co/Sy0jvXIBnC

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 29, 2022

Bridgerton and Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes is not taking any chances.

“Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned. Bye,” she tweeted.

Not hanging around for whatever Elon has planned. Bye.

— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 29, 2022

Musk confirmed his takeover of Twitter on October 27 after months of back-and-forth with the social media company.