Elon Musk’s X has accused the Chinese government of flooding the platform with pornographic content to suppress protests and silence dissent.
Nikita Bier, X’s head of product, said Beijing was responsible for the surge in explicit spam after users complained that Chinese-language searches were dominated by illicit ads.
According to Bier, the tactic is used during periods of political unrest to prevent citizens from accessing real-time information. He added that while the issue is difficult to resolve, the company is aware of it and working on solutions.
X has been blocked in mainland China since 2009, but remains accessible in regions such as Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
China has long faced accusations of using fake accounts and coordinated campaigns to spread misinformation and target pro-democracy activists. Previous investigations have linked Chinese networks to harassment, threats, and disinformation efforts on social platforms.
The comments mark a rare public criticism of Beijing by a senior X executive, contrasting with Musk’s usually cautious stance on China, where Tesla relies heavily on manufacturing and supply chains.