Elmo's X Account Hacked: Antisemitic Posts Spark Concerns Over Platform Security and Hate Speech

Grok Went MechaHitler and Elmo Said Hold My Beer - Decrypt

The incident comes amid broader concerns about rising antisemitism and X's failure to regulate hate speech. Social media platform X drew further criticism over the way it moderates hate speech on Sunday after an official account belonging to Sesame's Elmo spewed out antisemitic and violent messaging. Sesame Workshop, the company behind Sesame Street, attributed the outburst to an "unknown hacker." "Elmo's X account was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts," a spokesperson told CNN on Monday. "We are working to restore full control of the account." It comes just a week after Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok launched into a hate-filled tirade on X. While that incident was reportedly due to a specific system prompt update -- later rolled back -- the two events reveal underlying issues plaguing the platform. In Elmo's case, among the posts were calls for violence against Jewish people and demands for the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Both incidents have sparked condemnation and renewed concerns over X's weak security measures and ongoing failure to control hate speech. "The Elmo hack was the icing on the cake at the end of a very strange weekend," an X user wrote. "I think the reaction many people had to Elmo's Twitter feed getting hacked is to wonder why Sesame Street thought it was appropriate for Elmo to have a feed on this Nazi hellsite at all," Musk biographer Seth Abramson wrote. "You could argue that this hack was as predictable as Sesame Street having a letter of the day." While the offensive posts were quickly deleted, screenshots continued to circulate online. The non-profit Anti-Defamation League condemned the incident in a statement posted to X, calling the hack a disturbing example of how hate can infiltrate social media. "It's appalling that [Elmo's] official X account, known for spreading kindness, was hacked yesterday solely to spread violent antisemitism," the Anti-Defamation League wrote on X. "Antisemitism on social media fosters the normalization of anti-Jewish hate online and offline, and contributes to an increasingly threatening environment for Jewish people everywhere." The incident comes amid a surge in antisemitism online. An April 2025 report by the Anti-Defamation League found that antisemitic incidents in the U.S. have soared 893% over the past decade. In a separate February report, the American Jewish Committee reported that 69% of Jewish adults have experienced antisemitism online or on social media. Los Angeles-based global Jewish human rights organization, The Simon Wiesenthal Center, meanwhile, has given X a "D" grade based on a list of criteria, including terms of service, oversight board, violent extremism policy, and transparency, among others.

'Unknown hacker' targets Elmo's X account, and posts antisemitic and racist messages

In a statement, Sesame Workshop said the X account has now been secured - and described the posts uploaded to Elmo's page as "disgusting". An X account for the Sesame Street character Elmo has been targeted by an unknown hacker who posted antisemitic and racist messages. The profile is followed by more than 650,000 users on the social network - and usually posts upbeat and motivational updates. Sunday's messages, which have since been deleted, called for violence against Jews, insulted Donald Trump, and referred to alleged files related to Jeffrey Epstein. In a statement, Sesame Workshop said the X account has now been secured - and described the posts uploaded to Elmo's page as "disgusting". This is the latest controversy to befall Elon Musk's platform in recent days. Last week, X's AI chatbot Grok also produced content with antisemitic tropes, which were later removed and denounced as "inappropriate". Musk purchased the website, formerly known as Twitter, back in 2022 - with extremist content increasing against a backdrop of less moderation. The Anti-Defamation League, a US organisation that fights antisemitism, said: "It's appalling that Elmo's official account, known for spreading kindness, was hacked solely to spread violent antisemitism." "Antisemitism on social media fosters the normalisation of anti-Jewish hate online and offline - and contributes to an increasingly threatening environment for Jewish people everywhere."