WORLD — Several watchdog groups have sounded the alarm over a concerning rise in hate speech on Twitter since Elon Musk took ownership of the platform. They say African Americans are being particularly targeted, as hate speech against them has risen over 10,000%.
"This is concerning," said researcher Merv Blubshank of the Center for Countering Mean People Being Hateful on the Internet. "Even more concerning is the fact that almost all the violent hate is being directed at one African American man in particular."
Several hateful messages noted by the organization include such as: "Go back to where you came from Elon Musk!", "I hope Elon Musk dies in a fire!" and "ELON MUSK! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!".
"We're concerned that African Americans will no longer feel safe online," said Blubshank. "This rampant hatred must end!"
At publishing time, the organization also noted a worrisome rise in anti-FBI hate speech on Twitter as well.