Elon Musk’s X lawsuit against Media Matters set for April trial

A lawsuit filed by Elon Musk’s company X against the nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters has been scheduled for trial in April 2025, as per a court filing.

The US District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued an order on Thursday, setting the date for the trial. This case revolves around Media Matters’ research, which highlighted antisemitic and pro-Nazi content on the social media platform.

In November, X initiated legal action against Media Matters, accusing the group of intentionally misrepresenting the frequency with which users might encounter hate speech on the platform.

CNN has contacted X for comments on the recent order, while Media Matters has declined to comment.

Angelo Carusone, the president of Media Matters, has previously described X’s lawsuit as “frivolous” and an attempt to stifle criticism of Musk.

The lawsuit alleges that Media Matters’ testing methods do not accurately reflect the typical user experience on the site and that the group’s reports exaggerated the likelihood of encountering extremist content.

Motions for summary judgment in this case are due in December, and the judge’s decision on these filings could potentially resolve the case before it reaches trial.

Musk has faced setbacks in similar legal battles. In March, a federal judge in California dismissed a lawsuit filed by X against another watchdog group, the Center for Countering Digital Hate. In a detailed 52-page order, the judge criticized the case as being more about retribution than about safeguarding the platform’s security and legal rights.

“Sometimes it is unclear what is driving litigation,” wrote District Judge Charles Breyer of the US District Court for the Northern District of California. “Other times, a complaint is so unabashedly and vociferously about one thing that there can be no mistaking that purpose.”

“This case represents the latter circumstance,” Breyer continued. “This case is about punishing the defendants for their speech.”