Elon Musk‘s response to advertisers who halted ads on X platform: Go. Fuckk. Yourself. Musk’s outspoken and unapologetic style has fueled the ongoing debate surrounding free speech and responsible social media use.
Elon Musk, known for his controversial posts on X (formerly Twitter), has a history of tweets costing millions. Following the Twitter acquisition, with an emphasis on free speech, Musk continues to grab headlines with his posts, memes, and sarcastic comments.
In November, following Elon Musk’s controversial antisemitic post on X, major companies such as Apple, Disney, IBM, Paramount, NBCUniversal, Comcast, Lionsgate, and Warner Bros suspended their advertising on the platform. This decision was driven by concerns that their ads were being displayed alongside pro-Nazi content, prompting a collective response from these influential companies.
Elon Musk, in his first interview with mainstream media since the incident, publicly acknowledged and apologized for what he deemed his “dumbest” social media post to date. However, the interview wasn’t a straightforward act of contrition. Musk took the opportunity to vehemently criticize advertisers who were choosing to distance themselves from X due to the platform’s growing antisemitism issue.
At the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York, Musk left no room for ambiguity, stating, “I don’t want them to advertise. If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money, go fuck yourself. Is that clear?” This bold stance was punctuated with a direct reference to Disney CEO Bob Iger, adding a layer of theatricality to the ongoing narrative. “Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience, that’s how I feel,” Musk added.
Adding to the drama, Elon Musk delivered his unapologetic remarks at the New York Times DealBook Summit with X CEO Linda Yaccarino sitting in the audience. The timing was particularly noteworthy as Yaccarino had been strategically brought into the company with the specific mission of wooing back big-name advertisers. Musk’s bold statements, challenging advertisers and expressing his stance on their presence on X, unfolded against the backdrop of Yaccarino’s pivotal role in the company’s efforts to rebuild relationships with major advertisers.
The Antisemitic Post Fallout
The controversy ignited on November 16, 2023, when Elon Musk responded to a user’s post spreading an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory suggesting that Jewish people were replacing whites with immigrants from minority groups. Musk’s reply, acknowledging the conspiracy theory as the “actual truth,” garnered around 7.9 million views on X. In a subsequent comment, Musk explicitly called out organizations like the ADL, accusing them of avoiding criticism of minority groups, whom he labelled as a primary threat.
The situation escalated when Twitter/X decided to take legal action against media watchdog group Media Matters. The lawsuit, filed in Texas, revolved around Media Matters’ November 16 report, claiming that the social media platform was displaying major companies’ ads alongside Nazi content. This report surfaced just a day after Elon Musk endorsed an anti-Semitic conspiracy, leading to major advertisers such as Apple and Disney severing ties with the platform.
X’s lawsuit accuses Media Matters of “manufacturing” screenshots in its report, showcasing advertisers’ posts alongside white nationalist content. This alleged manipulation was a deliberate and malicious attack aimed at “driving advertisers from the platform and destroying X Corp.”
On November 18, Elon Musk added to the intensity by announcing his intent to file a “thermonuclear lawsuit” against Media Matters and all those involved in what he termed a fraudulent attack on the company as soon as the court opened.
In the legal battle between X and Media Matters, it’s crucial to note that Twitter/X does not dispute the authenticity of the screenshots in Media Matters’ recent report. Rather, it acknowledges them as genuine, confirming that major advertisers such as Apple, Bravo, Oracle, Xfinity, and IBM had their advertisements displayed next to posts celebrating Nazism on the platform.
The lawsuit takes a different angle, alleging that Media Matters gained access to view advertisers’ content next to Nazi-related posts through specific tactics. X claims that Media Matters used profiles that had been active for over 30 days, effectively bypassing the platform’s ad filter for new users. Moreover, the lawsuit suggests that Media Matters selectively followed accounts, focusing on prominent advertisers or those known to produce extreme fringe content.
X also asserts that Media Matters engaged in excessive scrolling and refreshing of its feed, leading to a higher rate of ad views per hour compared to the typical user. These allegations contribute to Twitter/X’s argument that Media Matters intentionally manipulated its interaction with the platform to create the appearance of advertisements alongside extremist content, forming the basis for the legal dispute between the two entities.
In the midst of the controversy, X CEO Linda Yaccarino has confirmed that the platform did indeed display major advertisers’ posts alongside white supremacist content. However, she attempted to downplay the impact by stating that the exposure was minimal, suggesting that very few people actually saw it. This acknowledgement from Yaccarino adds a layer of transparency to the situation, acknowledging the occurrence while framing it as a relatively isolated incident in terms of audience reach.
The recent suspension of advertising on X due to the placement of ads alongside Nazi content is not the platform’s first encounter with such issues. In August 2023, pharmaceutical giant Gilead and NCTA — The Internet & Television Association both ceased advertising on Elon Musk’s owned social media platform. This move came in response to a prior Media Matters report that brought to light the display of ads on content associated with white supremacists.
Advertisers Under Fire for X’s Fate
Elon Musk’s statements at the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York underscore a stark warning to advertisers, suggesting that their boycott could potentially lead to the demise of X. He expressed this sentiment by saying, “What this advertising boycott is going to do is it’s going to kill the company. The whole world will know those advertisers killed the company, and we will document it in great detail.”
This statement underscores the pivotal role advertisers play in the future of X, particularly as the platform grapples with challenges related to its paid subscription model. In the era preceding Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, advertisements accounted for over 85% of the platform’s revenue. However, since the acquisition, the platform has witnessed a significant downturn, resulting in the loss of billions in ad revenue. The social media platform could lose up to $75 million in ad revenue by the end of 2023, owning to Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic post.
In the ever-evolving landscape of social media, where public opinion, legal battles, and corporate interests intersect, the future of X hangs in the balance. Elon Musk’s bold and often controversial decisions continue to shape the narrative, leaving industry observers and users anticipating the next chapter in the ongoing saga of X.
