Advertising Paused on X/Twitter Following Antisemitic Remarks

We want to inform our valued readers that several major companies, including NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, and Apple, have made the decision to suspend their advertising on X (formerly Twitter) in response to recent antisemitic remarks made by owner Elon Musk.

While the companies have confirmed the suspension of their ads, none of them have issued a statement specifically condemning Musk's comments. Sony Pictures is also not currently advertising on X, according to a reliable source. It should be noted that Disney's film "Wish" is set to open in theaters on November 22, and Lionsgate will be releasing the new "Hunger Games" prequel movie, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," this weekend. The extent of the advertising suspension in terms of duration and financial impact remains unclear.

These actions by major companies follow similar decisions made by tech giants like Apple and IBM, who also suspended their ads on X, as initially reported by Axios. Media Matters, in a recent report, highlighted that posts from Apple, IBM, Oracle, NBCUniversal's Bravo, and Comcast were displayed alongside far-right content.

In response to the situation, IBM stated, "We have zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination, and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation."

Earlier this week, Elon Musk faced criticism for responding to an antisemitic post with the comment, "You have said the actual truth," and subsequently criticized the Anti-Defamation League. His remarks drew widespread condemnation.

Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X and former chairman of global advertising & partnerships for NBCUniversal, expressed her stance on the matter in a tweeted statement. She emphasized that X is committed to combating antisemitism and discrimination and believes that such behavior should not be tolerated anywhere.

It is worth noting that Elon Musk has recently downsized the staff at X, reducing the number of employees from 7,500 to 2,000. Some critics argue that these job cuts have contributed to the platform's struggle in addressing hateful speech. In response, some individuals in Hollywood have already transitioned to alternative social media services such as Meta's Threads or Bluesky, developed by former Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.

We will continue to monitor this situation closely and provide any further updates as they become available.

Robert Brooksby