In its lawsuit, X alleges the center violated its terms of service by automatically scraping large amounts of data from the site without the company's permission. X also claims the center improperly accessed internal Twitter data, using log-on credentials it obtained from an employee at a separate company that has a business relationship with X.
Without naming any individuals or companies, the suit says the center receives funding from foreign governments as well as organizations with ties to “legacy media organizations” that see X as a rival.In response to the legal action, Imran Ahmed, the center’s founder and CEO, defended its work and accused Musk of using the lawsuit to silence criticism of his leadership, as well as research into the role X plays in spreading misinformation and hate speech.
“Musk is trying to ‘shoot the messenger’ who highlights the toxic content on his platform rather than deal with the toxic environment he’s created," Ahmed said. The center’s 2021 tax forms show it took in $1.4 million in revenue. A review of major donors shows several large charities, including the National Philanthropic Trust in the U.S. and the Oak Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust in the U.K.
A spokesman for the group said the center receives no funding from any government entities or tech companies that could be considered competitors to X. The identities of other donors is not revealed in public documents, and the center declined to provide a list.