Elmo, victim of hacking with conspiracy and anti-Semitic content
Elmo was hacked on X. Within minutes, his account was spreading anti-Semitic messages and controversial mentions of Trump and Epstein.
Photo of Meg von Haartman in Unsplash
What started out as a quiet afternoon for fans of Sesame Street It ended up becoming an alarming case of cyberattack: the official account of Elmo, one of the most iconic children's characters in the world, was hacked on the social network X (formerly Twitter) and used to publish a series of offensive messages and conspiracy theories.
The intrusion lasted less than an hour, but it was enough time for users to capture and spread the messages, which included anti-Semitic and racist content and direct accusations against public figures like President Donald Trump. Among the tweets posted by the hackers were phrases such as:
- “Elmo says the elite controls everything. Read the Epstein files.”
- “Elmo doesn't trust the system anymore. Trump has more to do with this than you think.”
- “Why isn’t anyone talking about bankers? Elmo has questions.”
Although the messages mimicked the character's childlike tone to increase viral appeal, the content was violent, with references to popular internet conspiracies and symbols associated with hate speech.
Official reaction
A few minutes after the incident, Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization that manages everything related to Sesame Street, issued a statement:
“The official Elmo account was briefly compromised by unauthorized actors. We deeply regret the offensive messages that were posted. We have now regained full control of the account and are working with X to identify those responsible.”
They also confirmed that they are strengthening security measures on all of their digital platforms.
A new episode on X
This hack is not an isolated case. In recent months, X has come under fire for its lack of moderation, staff reduction, and the proliferation of hateful content, especially following changes pushed by Elon Musk. The Elmo case follows the recent incident involving the AI-powered chatbot Grok, which was criticized for responses containing antisemitic content.
“The fact that such a universal children’s figure as Elmo can be used to spread hate and misinformation speaks to the level of exposure and neglect that exists in X right now,” said digital analyst Jordan Alvarez of the Media Trust Lab.
The impact on the community
For many families and educators, Elmo is not just a character, but a trusted figure who teaches values such as empathy, diversity, and coexistence. The malicious use of his account has raised concerns among parents and educational organizations, who are calling for greater protection of digital identities associated with children's content.
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