Allegations of neo-Nazi affiliation surface against a 22-year-old Jewish man, prompting Elon Musk's intervention
Elon Musk amplifies online mob's false accusations of a 22-year-old Jewish man being a neo-Nazi, disrupting his post-college plans and tarnishing his reputation
Ben Brody claims that his life was going well until Elon Musk, using his strong influence on social media, exacerbated false accusations made by an online mob. These unfounded claims wrongfully accused the 22-year-old from California of being an undercover operative in a neo-Nazi organization, which Brody finds both strange and utterly unfounded.
However, the mere fact that he had a slight resemblance to someone rumored to be part of the group, his Jewish heritage, and a statement he made in an online college fraternity profile expressing his ambition to work for the government, became more than sufficient grounds for internet trolls to wrongly assume that Brody was an undercover government agent ("Fed") strategically placed within the neo-Nazi organization to tarnish their reputation.
As a result, Brody's life took an immediate turn for the worse. Overnight, he became a prominent figure in a narrative propagated by individuals seeking to dismiss and diminish the actions of hate groups in present-day America.
Engaging with lies and taunts on social media caused Musk's life to be completely disrupted, according to Brody. At a certain point, he and his mother were forced to leave their home out of fear of physical harm.
However, he is now taking a stand and fighting back.
Brody initiated a defamation lawsuit against Musk, the individual in charge of X, previously recognized as Twitter, in the previous month. The lawsuit aims to obtain compensatory damages surpassing $1 million. Brody insists on receiving an apology from the billionaire and the retraction of the false assertions made against him.
Brody's attorney, who previously won a case against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for spreading false information about the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, expressed his desire for this lawsuit to compel one of the wealthiest and most influential individuals worldwide to acknowledge and be accountable for their negligent and detrimental online conduct.
"This case exemplifies a disturbing trend in our nation," remarked attorney Mark Bankston during a CNN interview. "Prominent individuals, who hold significant sway in society, are displaying an alarming lack of caution when it comes to their public statements about ordinary individuals simply going about their daily lives, individuals who are innocent and have done nothing to attract this undue attention."
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, addressed the media after participating in a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The gathering was organized as part of the Senate majority leader's plan to grant Congress more influence over the trajectory of artificial intelligence, which is becoming increasingly important in the lives of Americans. The photograph was taken by Sarah Silbiger and is from the Bloomberg/Getty Images collection.
Elon Musk's company, X, is currently conducting trials for implementing an annual fee for accounts that have not been verified.
In response to the lawsuit, an attorney representing Musk stated to CNN that they anticipate the dismissal of this case. The deadline for Musk's legal team to submit their response in court is January 5, 2024.
During the evening of Saturday, June 24, 2023, Ben Brody found himself present in Riverside, California. Meanwhile, near Portland, Oregon, approximately 1,000 miles away, a gay pride event was taking place. This particular city has emerged as a battleground for intense and sometimes aggressive confrontations regarding the ongoing culture wars within the country.
Rival far-right groups and neo-Nazis targeted the event, leading to clashes and skirmishes during the protest. Videos capturing the altercation, where protesters from these groups engaged in pushing and pulling, swiftly went viral on social media. Online conspiracy theorists quickly joined in the ongoing controversy.
When they came across Ben Brody, that's when things changed.
Youre being accused of being a neo-Naziâ¦
The day after the Pride event, Brody began getting text messages from his friends telling him to check out social media.
"You're being accused of being an informant for a neo-Nazi organization," he remembered his friends informing him.
In a surprising turn of events, an individual on social media stumbled upon a photo of Brody and had the audacity to claim that he resembled one of the individuals implicated in the violent conflict.
Online anonymous individuals, who take it upon themselves to act as internet sleuths, initiated a thorough investigation and uncovered the fact that Brody was of Jewish descent and had pursued political science at the University of California, Riverside. On his fraternity's webpage during his college years, he had expressed his ambition to pursue a career in the government.
In an interview with CNN, Brody mentioned, "During that time, I indicated my desire to work for the government. It was simply because I hadn't determined the specific branch or role within the government that captivated me. Perhaps becoming a lawyer intrigued me," he recollected.
The fact that he was Jewish was important to them because conspiracy theories often involve antisemitism, implying a Jewish plot to dominate the world. Brody received numerous messages on his social media accounts, including terms like "Fed," "Nazi," and "We got you." He shared that after their address was shared online, he and his mom were compelled to vacate their family residence.
Looks like one is a college student (who wants to join the govt)
In an attempt to rectify the situation and clarify the misunderstanding, several of Brody's acquaintances took to social media to set the record straight. Brody himself took to Instagram to share a video, where he fervently attempted to establish his innocence. Going to great lengths, he even obtained time-stamped video surveillance footage from a restaurant in Riverside, California, to provide undeniable evidence that he could not have been present at the Oregon brawl during the rally.
The conspiracy theory continued to spread relentlessly on the internet, even reaching onX. However, it wasn't only anonymous trolls who were responsible for spreading the falsehood. Musk, the owner of the platform, also joined in, endorsing and spreading the lie to his vast number of followers.
Footage from the Oregon event revealed that the masks of at least one protester had been forcibly removed during the clash between the opposing far-right groups. On June 25, Musk raised a question on X, asking, "Who were those individuals without masks?"
Another user on X platform shared a tweet which accused Brody of being one of the unmasked individuals. The tweet brought attention to a statement in Brody's fraternity profile where he expressed his desire to work for the government once he graduates. According to the tweet, Brody was identified as the alleged member of the far-right group, emphasizing that he is a "political science student at a liberal school, pursuing a career in the federal sector."
Musk responded with a sense of curiosity, remarking, "Quite peculiar."
In response to the tweet, another user brought up Brodys alleged involvement and added, "Do you recall when they dismissed us as conspiracy theorists for suggesting that the government would insert counterfeit Nazis at public gatherings?"
"Remove their masks at all times," replied Musk.
On June 27, after discussing conspiracy theories regarding the matter for several days, Musk claimed that the Oregon skirmish was a fabricated event. "It appears that one individual is a college student (with a desire to join the government) and the other could possibly be a member of Antifa, but regardless, this is likely a planned deception," he tweeted.
Brody remembered, "I realized the situation was escalating rapidly, but after Elon Musk's comment, I thought, boom, that's the last straw."
According to records from the Internet Archive, Musk has the highest number of followers on X with approximately 150 million by the end of June. Around that time, he tweeted about the dispute in Oregon. X's own data shows that the tweet has been viewed over 1.2 million times.
Worried about permanently being linked to neo-Nazism and unable to secure employment, Brody, who had completed college but not yet graduated, feared that individuals threatening to report him to his university would ruin his life. In an effort to redeem his reputation, he granted an interview to Vice.com, ultimately catching the interest of Mark Bankston.
The man who took down Alex Jones
Bankston earned fame for representing grieving parents who lost their children in the tragic 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, prevailing against the notorious conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones, in the courtroom.
Bankston stated that Brody's case presents an opportunity to not only absolve the young man of wrongdoing but also initiate a crucial dialogue surrounding the toxic nature of online conversations. In the lawsuit filed in Travis County, Texas (the same jurisdiction where Bankston previously sued Jones), it is alleged that Musk's statements about Brody are part of an ongoing defamation pattern exhibited by the wealthy entrepreneur.
Musk, according to the lawsuit, is described as "potentially the most influential figure among all influencers." His support of the accusation against Ben not only energized other social media influencers and users to persist with their attacks and harassment, but also prompted them to make enduring online accusations against Ben that will remain accessible indefinitely.
In this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on August 21, 2023, the icons of Facebook, X, and Instagram can be seen displayed on a phone screen.
A new report reveals that Musk's X profits from the dissemination of Israel-Hamas misinformation by targeting influential sources. Following his assumption of control over Twitter in 2022, Musk emphasized the platform's need to be the foremost reliable source of global information.
However, the lawsuit claims that Musk has been consistently spreading false statements and promoting the most abhorrent aspects of conspiracy-riddled Twitter, using the platform for his personal benefit. The lawsuit provides examples of Musk's interactions with accounts promoting racism and antisemitism, as well as instances where he shared or engaged with conspiracy theories. One such incident occurred in October last year when Musk shared untrue allegations regarding the attack on Paul Pelosi, the spouse of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The lawsuit goes beyond monetary concerns, according to Bankston and his client.
"I simply desire to rectify the situation," Brody expressed to CNN. "This has nothing to do with seeking revenge. I am not filled with anger or harboring any resentment. My only aim is to ensure that things are set right, to receive an apology, and to prevent similar occurrences from happening to others in the future."
