Researchers: Meta, X Approved Hate Speech Ads Ahead of German Elections

Meta and X both approved ads containing antisemitic and Islamophobic, AI-generated imagery in the run-up to the German elections, according to a report from the nonprofit organization Eko.

Germany will hold elections on Feb. 23, and immigration policies as well as its approach to asylum seekers have been a hot-button issue among the candidates.

Eko submitted 10 ads each to Meta and X to test their review processes. It scheduled them to run the week before the election and targeted German audiences. All the ads contained what it classified as “explicit hate speech” and “incitement to violence,” and each ad was accompanied by an AI-generated image made using popular tools like OpenAI’s DALL-E and Stable Diffusion.

Meta allegedly approved half of the ads submitted within 12 hours, and X scheduled all 10 ads for publication immediately. The nonprofit alleges that Meta approved one ad that called for the burning of synagogues to protect “White Germans.” It claims both Meta and X approved two ads that reference Nazi-era war crimes, such as the use of concentration camps.

Citing Meta and X’s Hateful Conduct rules, researchers say the ads they submitted were clearly in violation of both. All of the ads were removed by the researchers before publication, meaning they were never seen by Meta or X users.

“At the core of the problem is these platforms’ toxic business model–one dependent on digital advertising revenue and fueled by engagement, no matter the cost,” read the report. “Their ad systems are built to maximize attention and revenue, creating little incentive to curb hate speech, disinformation, or incitement of violence.”

X owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has taken an interest in German politics, speaking at a rally for the anti-immigration party AfD last month and talking to one of its leaders in an interview on X Spaces. “Only AfD can save Germany,” Musk tweeted yesterday after a Berlin knife attack.

X has been dogged by accusations of a rise in hate speech since Musk acquired the platform in 2022, prompting many users to try out alternative platforms like Bluesky or Mastodon, particularly in the aftermath of the US presidential election, where Musk spent millions in support of Trump. X is also currently under investigation by the EU over whether the platform’s recommendation algorithms violate the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Neither X nor Meta immediately responded to a request for comment on Eko’s report.

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