Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban took to social media to address the rise in hate speech on social media.
Cuban believes social media platforms are rewarding users who take to platforms to spew hate day after day.
“I think racism has become worse on the political edges of American society, which makes it more virulent and impactful to POC and women,” Cuban on X, formerly Twitter after a social media user asked for the billionaire’s thoughts on racism.
I think racism has become worse on the political edges of American society, which makes it more virulent and impactful to POC and women.
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) February 26, 2024
People can come on @X and other platforms, remain anonymous, and find common ground with other racists, homophobes, anti-semites etc that… https://t.co/isT8A0PXVP
Anti-Semitic tweets doubled from June 2022 to February 2023, according to Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD) research. The same study found that most of the posts were removed from X, but not quickly enough to keep up with the trolls. The Center for Countering Digital Hate found that slurs increased substantially after Elon Musk acquired Twitter. Under Musk’s leadership, Anti-Black slurs jumped from 1,282 times a day to 3,876 times a day, while homophobic slurs targeting gay men leaped 2,506 times a day on average to 3,964 times a day post-Musk, while use of a slur against trans people increased by 53%,
“People can come on @X and other platforms, remain anonymous, and find common ground with other racists, homophobes, anti-semites etc that just makes them more fervent,” Cuban continued. “As their accounts grow and they get the random engagement by @elonmusk they are rewarded by the algorithm with further reach which in turn creates the opportunity for more racism On here.”
Cuban and Musk have a history of calling each other out online.
In January, Musk called Cuban a “racist” for expressing his public support of DEI endeavors. According to Musk, “Discrimination on the basis of race, which DEI does, is literally the definition of racism.”
I’ve never hired anyone based exclusively on race, gender, religion.
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) January 28, 2024
I only ever hire the person that will put my business in the best position to succeed.
And yes, race and gender can be part of the equation. I view diversity as a competitive advantage
Now how would you… https://t.co/gxdtauMHtz
Cuban stated that workplace diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives can make a business more fruitful.
“I know we disagree on this, and that’s fine,” Cuban said at the time in a post on X. “But DEI is not an ‘ideology.’ It is a set of business processes that when done well makes a company more profitable.”
Earlier this month, an interview clip of journalist Glenn Greenwald speaking to Cuban went viral. Cuban criticized X, calling it a “cesspool for hate.”
Mark Cuban is an insufferable tool
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2024
Musk responded, dismissing Cuban as “an insufferable tool.”
