A US judge in San Francisco has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk against the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The NGO accused him of allowing an increase in hate speech on his social network X, formerly known as Twitter.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that Musk’s lawsuit was retaliatory in nature.

X issued a statement indicating its intention to appeal the decision.

Imran Ahmed, CEO of CCDH, welcomed the judge’s decision as an affirmation of his organization’s efforts to hold social media companies accountable for their actions.

Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer representing CCDH, said the ruling underscores Musk’s inability to manipulate legal processes to his advantage.

Musk’s statements on social media have also drawn criticism, including his endorsement of an anti-Semitic post on X in November 2023.

The judge’s decision is a blow to the world’s third-richest man, who has long portrayed himself as a defender of free speech.

Since acquiring Twitter, Musk has faced plenty of criticism for firing employees who monitored for misinformation, as well as from civil rights groups for allowing posts with harmful and offensive content on the platform.