The Twitter logo is displayed on smartphone and computer screens in Athens, Greece, April 20, 2024.
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A federal judge in Texas has rejected Media Matters and its request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s X.
X’s lawsuit against the nonprofit media watchdog and two of its staffers will go to trial on April 7, thanks to a decision by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor on Thursday.
X (formerly known as Twitter) initially filed the lawsuit in November after Media Matters published a report showing hateful content on the platform appearing alongside online ads from companies including Apple, IBM and Disney. The companies then suspended the X advertising campaign, the lawsuit alleges.
Lawyers representing X claimed the Media Matters report was “deliberately deceptive” and caused financial harm to the company.
One of the defendants, Media Affairs Chairman Angelo Carusone, said in a statement at the time that this “frivolous lawsuit” was intended to intimidate X’s critics and silence them.
O’Connor denied the nonprofit’s attempt to dismiss the case, saying in a filing that the plaintiffs “have appropriately defended their claims.”
Media Matters and X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
August O’Connor fired Media Matters asks Musk to force listing Tesla As an interested party in X’s lawsuit against the nonprofit organization. O’Connor said in a statement at the time Legal filing “There is no evidence that Tesla has a direct financial interest in the outcome of this case.”
O’Connor also oversaw X’s recent antitrust lawsuit against a global advertising association and its member companies, such as Unilever, Mars and CVS Health. O’Connor subsequently recused himself from the proceedings. Although he did not provide a reason for his recusal, recent financial disclosures show that the judge has investments in Unilever.
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