Apple, Disney, IBM halt X ads after Musk's antisemitic tweet
Several major tech companies, including Apple, IBM, and others, have decided to halt advertising on X after Elon Musk endorsed an antisemitic post. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO recently tweeted his support for a message that reportedly accused Jews of harboring hatred for white people, describing it as "the actual truth." The White House has also denounced Musk's comments as "abhorrent," while over 160 rabbis urged prominent businesses to stop advertising on the X platform in light of Musk's tweets.
Ads ran alongside pro-Nazi content
A Media Matters report revealed ads by Apple and several other companies were displayed alongside tweets applauding Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Besides tech companies, media giants like Lionsgate, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures have reportedly decided to suspend ads on X. Per The Verge, Paramount and Comcast/NBCUniversal have also paused advertising on the platform. IBM took similar action earlier, prompted by the Media Matters report. However, Musk responded to the issue by branding Media Matters an "evil organization."
Apple one of X's largest advertisers
Apple has been one of X's largest advertisers, investing up to $100 million annually as of November 2022. The tech giant claimed to have "mostly stopped" advertising on X in December 2022, but ad analytics data suggested otherwise. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported Lionsgate has suspended all advertising on X, while Politico stated that the European Commission has halted ads due to concerns about the proliferation of disinformation. The New York Times reported that Disney would also put its ads on hold.
X's business suffers due to rise in antisemitic, racist posts
Since Musk took ownership of X in November 2022, the platform has seen a drop in advertisers, user engagement, and staffing levels, with the workforce dwindling to less than 50% of what it was before. Studies have reportedly noted a troubling rise in antisemitic and racist content on the social network following Musk's takeover. While X CEO Linda Yaccarino attempted to mitigate the latest situation by asserting discrimination should be eradicated across the board, she didn't specifically address Musk's actions.
