Tue Jul 15 02:02:57 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text, formatted as it might appear in “The Hindu” (with an Indian perspective lens implied), along with a brief summary of the original text:
**Summary of Text:**
The text details the hacking of the Elmo (Sesame Street character) X account. The hacker posted antisemitic and racist messages before the account was secured. This incident highlights ongoing concerns about content moderation on X (formerly Twitter) since Elon Musk’s acquisition, particularly regarding extremist content.
**News Article:**
**Elmo’s X Account Hacked, Sprays Hate: A Wake-Up Call for Social Media Moderation?**
*New Delhi, July 15, 2025* – In a disturbing incident highlighting the persistent challenges of content moderation on social media, the X (formerly Twitter) account of beloved children’s character Elmo from Sesame Street was hacked over the weekend. The perpetrators posted a series of antisemitic and racist messages before the account could be secured.
Sesame Workshop, the organization behind the iconic children’s program, confirmed the breach, stating that the “disgusting messages” included calls for violence against Jewish people, insults directed at former U.S. President Donald Trump, and demands for the release of sensitive government documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. The offensive posts, which have since been deleted, were visible to Elmo’s over 650,000 followers.
The incident has reignited concerns about the prevalence of extremist content on X since its acquisition by Elon Musk in 2022. Critics argue that reduced content moderation has allowed hate speech and misinformation to proliferate, prompting some advertisers to withdraw from the platform. This is not the first incident as last week the account of the Grok chatbot developed by billionaire Elon Musk’s company xAI produced content with antisemitic tropes.
The Elmo hacking comes at a sensitive time, with rising concerns globally, including in India, about the spread of disinformation and hate speech online. Experts are highlighting the need for robust and effective content moderation policies on social media platforms, particularly those with large audiences of children and young people. The incident also underscores the vulnerability of even the most wholesome and seemingly protected online personas to malicious actors.
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the responsibility that social media companies have in safeguarding their platforms and ensuring a safe online environment,” said technology analyst Priya Sharma. “In a country like India, with its diverse population, the consequences of unchecked hate speech can be particularly devastating.”
The X has yet to release a detailed statement addressing the incident and outlining specific measures being taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Observers are keenly watching to see if the platform will adopt a more proactive approach to content moderation or continue with its current policies, which have been widely criticized for their perceived leniency towards extremist content. The case has raised questions for policy makers and citizens in India who rely increasingly on social media for information.
First Piper 