Stop us if this seems like bog-standardly obvious business knowledge, but describing famous white-nationalist conspiracy theories as “the actual truth” is… not a great idea?
This is the latest controversy surrounding the owner of X (formerly Twitter) Elon Musk, who replied to an tweet referencing an anti-semitic conspiracy theory with “You have said the actual truth”.
Some of his platform’s most prominent advertisers do not agree, and are pausing their spending in response.
CNBC reported that Apple, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Global and Lionsgate Entertainment have all suspended their advertising on X.
Apple’s decision may also have been influenced by a different report last week noting that its ads had been placed next to pro-Nazi content on the social network.
Musk was also criticised strongly by a spokesperson from the White House, who said that “we condemn this abhorrent promotion of Antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms”.
Musk has since denied that he is antisemitic and said that “anyone advocating the genocide of *any* group will be suspended from this platform”.
Will that bring the advertisers back? Let’s hope they didn’t read another tweet of his this weekend, encouraging people to pay for X’s premium tier because “many of the largest advertisers are the greatest oppressors of your right to free speech”.
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