PragerU’s Controversial Hashtag
PragerU, not to be confused with a university, is known for its mission to ‘preserve American ideals.’ However, the organization has faced criticism for its stance on climate change and its interpretation of historical realities like slavery.
In a press release, PragerU revealed its choice of Twitter for this campaign, citing it as one of the least censored social media platforms. The organization pointed out that since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now referred to as “X”) and the removal of certain restrictions, voices within the detransitioning community have found a platform to share their stories.
The campaign centers around PragerU’s new short documentary, which claims to feature individuals who initially sought gender-affirming care but later regretted their decisions. The organization has dubbed this video its ‘most important’ yet. However, it’s important to note that extensive research indicates that detransitioning is exceedingly rare. A 2021 review of 27 studies involving almost 8,000 transgender patients found that less than 1% expressed regret after undergoing gender-affirmation surgeries.
Despite this body of research highlighting the positive outcomes of gender-affirming care, right-wing figures continue to stoke fear and misinformation about LGBTQ+ healthcare. In 2023 alone, over 400 anti-trans bills have been introduced by state legislators.
PragerU disclosed that it spent $1 million to promote the “DETRANS” documentary, including a portion allocated for its “timeline takeover” on Twitter. However, the controversial campaign coincides with challenging times for Twitter’s ad business. While X CEO Linda Yaccarino predicts profitability by 2024, evidence suggests that the platform’s advertising business is facing difficulties. Insider Intelligence estimates a 54% decrease in Twitter’s ad revenue this year, down to $1.89 billion from 2022. Additionally, reports from Similarweb indicate a decline in Twitter’s traffic and monthly active users.
PragerU’s campaign has faced backlash from some Twitter users, but the company confirmed that the advertisements do not violate platform guidelines. What sets this campaign apart is that it cannot be dismissed by users, even if they have blocked PragerU’s account. Typically, Twitter ads can be reported, but this one cannot be flagged.
Notably, PragerU is also advertising its documentary on Meta and Google, although in less prominent placements. The organization stated that it attempted a similar ‘takeover’ ad placement on YouTube (owned by Google) but was denied.
Google spokesperson Michael Aciman stated, ‘The ads in question do not violate our ads policies and are currently running across our platforms. In accordance with our YouTube ad requirements, since 2021, ads related to political topics are ineligible to run on the YouTube Masthead.’
Elon Musk’s influence over Twitter post-acquisition is apparent, with the platform often reflecting his personal interests. Twitter has banned journalists reporting on Musk, restricted links to competing platforms, modified its policies to censor a bot sharing information about Musk’s private jet, and imposed sanctions on news outlets like NPR and The New York Times.
Musk’s recent actions also reveal a concerning stance toward the LGBTQ+ community. He has made repeated mocking remarks about transgender individuals, removed Twitter policies preventing targeted deadnaming or misgendering of trans people, and even publicly criticized the term ‘cis’ as a ‘heterosexual slur,’ aligning with alterations in the company’s content moderation policies under his leadership.”
