Elmo, the beloved Sesame Street character known for spreading joy and kindness, became the center of an unexpected controversy after his official X (formerly Twitter) account was hacked and used to post antisemitic and racist messages. Sesame Workshop, the show’s producers, have confirmed the breach and denounced the offensive content.
Highlights
- Elmo’s verified X account was compromised over the weekend
- Hackers posted antisemitic slurs and offensive political content
- Sesame Workshop called the posts “disgusting” and not representative of Elmo or the show
- The account has since been secured and control restored
- The hack raises wider concerns over X’s content moderation under Elon Musk
Main Story
Fans of Sesame Street were stunned after a series of hateful and politically charged messages were posted from Elmo’s official X account. The posts included antisemitic slurs, attacks on political figures like Donald Trump, and conspiracy-laced references to Jeffrey Epstein—prompting alarm among parents and online users.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, issued a statement confirming that the account had been hacked. They labelled the posts as “disgusting” and clarified that the views expressed in the hacked content do not reflect Elmo or the organisation’s values. The account was quickly taken back under control, and the offensive tweets deleted.
The incident has reignited debate about online safety—especially for accounts tied to children’s brands. Under Elon Musk’s leadership, X has faced criticism for its lax content moderation and rising hate speech. Critics argue that the platform’s security systems are not keeping up with the risks of high-profile hacks.
Earlier this month, X also came under fire after its AI assistant, Grok, generated offensive content in user replies. With Elmo’s hack following closely behind, questions are being raised about how much trust users—and brands—can place in the platform’s current systems.
Even the world’s friendliest muppet isn’t safe from the dangers of the internet—raising the question: who’s really watching the platforms we trust?
