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Elmo’s X Account Secured After Hacker’s Antisemitic Rant

Sesame Workshop has regained full control of Elmo’s X account with all offensive posts removed during an ongoing security investigation.

A view of a photo booth with Elmo during "Mindful Families" presented by Headspace in partnership with Sesame Street and Unicorn Productions at Second Floor on September 6, 2023 in New York City.
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FILE - Elmo of the film "Being Elmo" poses for a portrait in the Fender Music Lodge during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 24, 2011. (AP Photo/Victoria Will, File)
Elmo's X account was hacked on Sunday.

Overview

  • An unknown hacker briefly commandeered Elmo’s verified X account on Sunday to post antisemitic calls for violence against Jewish people alongside racist and transphobic slurs.
  • The intruder used Elmo’s voice to demand the release of Jeffrey Epstein files and accuse President Trump of being Netanyahu’s “puppet,” sparking widespread outrage.
  • All offending posts and replies remained live for under 30 minutes before Sesame Workshop deleted them and restored the account.
  • Sesame Workshop confirmed the security breach and said it is working with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to secure the account and prevent future attacks.
  • The episode highlights ongoing concerns about hate speech proliferation and content moderation effectiveness on X under its current ownership.