Elon Musk’s ‘X’ Pledges Revenue to Aid Israeli Hospitals and Red Crescent in Gaza Amidst Social Media Concerns

New York — In a significant announcement, Elon Musk, owner of the rebranded social media platform ‘X’, previously known as Twitter, has committed to donating all revenue generated from subscriptions and advertisements related to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This fund will be channeled to hospitals in Israel and to the Red Crescent in Gaza, underscoring Musk’s initiative to contribute to humanitarian efforts in the region.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, X (previously known as Twitter), and SpaceX

X Corp will be donating all revenue from advertising & subscriptions associated with the war in Gaza to hospitals in Israel and the Red Cross/Crescent in Gaza

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2023

However, this announcement comes amidst growing concerns about the platform’s content oversight. A group of 27 Democratic members of the U.S. Congress expressed their apprehensions in a letter to Musk on Tuesday. They highlighted issues with the platform potentially profiting from ‘X Premium’ accounts that appeared to glorify violence against Israelis. This letter, directed to both Musk and Linda Yakarino, CEO of ‘X’, points to nonprofit organization reports citing instances of such content.

This controversy marks the latest in a series of content moderation challenges faced by Musk since his acquisition and renaming of Twitter to ‘X’. The social media giant filed a lawsuit against Media Matters on Monday, alleging defamation for a report that claimed major brand advertisements appeared alongside posts promoting Nazism on ‘X’.

Congress members’ letter emphasized that ‘X’ profited from the spread of this “repugnant and harmful propaganda” through subscription fees and ad revenue. They noted that a significant amount of offensive content remained published despite being reported by researchers.

The letter also referenced the U.S. designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization in 1997, highlighting the legal implications of intentionally providing material support or resources to such groups.

Musk’s decision to redirect revenue from ‘X’ in light of these issues reflects an attempt to balance commercial success with social responsibility, amidst ongoing scrutiny over content moderation on the platform.