LeBron James Raises Alarm on Massive Surge of N-Word on Twitter, Elon Musk Reacts
With Elon Musk taking over Twitter, many are concerned about the reported sudden increase in racial slurs being posted on the social media platform. Among them was Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who voiced his concerns on Saturday.
"I dont know Elon Musk and, tbh [to be honest], 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," the NBA star noted.
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
Fox Business reported that the new "Chief Twit" replied to the NBA star with a tweet from Twitter's head of safety and integrity, Yoel Roth.
Roth addressed the reported surge in slurs, and derogatory terms such as the N-word posted on the social media platform by saying that the increase, which happened over the last 48 hours, only came from a "small number" of accounts posting "a ton of tweets."
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 30, 2022
Roth explained that only 300 accounts generated these "more than 50,000 tweets repeatedly using a particular slur."
He further noted that "nearly all of these accounts are inauthentic," adding that they have already taken action against those who posted them, banning these users "involved in this trolling campaign."
Roth said they will continue working to address this in the coming days "to make Twitter safe and welcoming for everyone."
READ NEXT: Elon Musk Twitter Takeover: Billionaire's Massive Job Cuts Plan, Revealed
Elon Musk Clearing House on Twitter, Fires Top Executives
Elon Musk has also made his presence known, with several of Twitter's top executives reportedly fired after his takeover.
CEO Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal, Vijaya Gadde, head of legal policy, trust, and safety, and general counsel Sean Edgett were reportedly sacked by the new "Chief Twit."
However, there has yet to be an official word regarding these firings. Only anonymous sources have confirmed these firings to outlets like the Washington Post.
Musk has accused Agrawal, Segal, and Gadde of misleading him and Twitter investors regarding the number of fake accounts on the platform. People familiar with the matter reported that the three were escorted out of the building after Elon Musk fired them.
Elon Musk Still Planning to Fire Many Of Twitter's Workforce
Even though some of Twitter's top brass have been fired and over 500 people already leaving the company in the past few months, Elon Musk is reportedly still planning to slash nearly 75% of Twitter's employee base of 7,500 personnel.
Sources familiar with the matter told the New York Times that the cuts could begin as early as Saturday. Musk reportedly told workers that he would not fire that many but admitted that some employees would still be laid off.
There is also some uncertainty for employees working from home. Twitter was one of the first companies to embrace fully flexible work as the COVID-19 pandemic started shutting down the world.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that it is possible Musk would require employees to go back to the office. Musk previously threatened to fire Tesla and SpaceX employees if they did not work in the office for 40 hours a week.
READ MORE: TikTok Spreading Misinformation? New Report Says Their Search Engine Shows Fake News
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Elon Musk Shakes Up Twitter During First Hours As Owner - From Today
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!