Apple, Disney and IBM to pause ads on X after antisemitic Elon Musk tweet

After Elon Musk tweeted support for an antisemitic post, Apple will stop all advertising on X (previously known as Twitter) for two days.

On Friday, various prominent technology and media enterprises, ranging from IBM to Disney, proclaimed comparable statements, creating a series of consequential declarations.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Apple's advertisements were appearing next to tweets that were expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. Following this, media outlets reported that various entertainment companies such as Lionsgate, Warner Bros, Paramount, Sony Pictures, and Comcast/NBCUniversal also decided to temporarily halt their advertising on X. IBM had also taken a similar action the night before. Additionally, The New York Times stated that Disney would also be suspending their spending on this social media platform.

On Wednesday, the CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, who is a billionaire, wrote a message on Twitter stating that Jewish people hate white people, and he claimed this was true. The White House expressed its strong disapproval of Musk's remarks on Friday, calling them disgusting. In response to his tweets, a group of over 150 rabbis requested that Apple, Disney, Amazon, Oracle and other major companies suspend their advertising on the social media platform.

The company that makes iPhones spent up to $100 million a year on advertising on the social network X, which Elon Musk purchased in November 2022. Even though the company said it stopped advertising on X in December, data shows that they continued to do so. Since Musk's acquisition, Twitter's business has been declining rapidly, with advertisers leaving, regulators investigating, fewer users, and fewer employees. Additionally, there has been an increase in disturbing posts related to racism and antisemitism on the social network.

In December 2022, Musk sparked a conflict with Apple after their advertising decreased. He expressed his concern online, questioning whether CEO Tim Cook and his staff had a disdain for free speech in America. Musk posted a meme about engaging in a battle with Apple on social media, but later removed it. Shortly afterward, Cook invited Musk to visit Apple's headquarters, and it appears that they settled their differences.

On Thursday, IBM, which is also a significant advertiser for X, declared that it would no longer showcase advertisements on the platform. The reason behind this move is a report by liberal watchdog Media Matters. The report highlights that IBM and Apple’s ads have been featured alongside hate speech. Musk expressed his disapproval of Media Matters by branding it as an "evil organization."

IBM has no room for hate speech or discrimination. Because of this, we have ceased all advertisements on X while we look into this completely intolerable matter. A representative from the company shared this statement with the Guardian.

On Thursday, Linda Yaccarino, who is the CEO of X and previously worked as an advertising sales expert at NBC Universal, tried to make amends for her employer's recent controversy. In her statement, Yaccarino stated, "X has always been transparent about its belief that all forms of discrimination must come to an end." Even though she didn't refer to Musk by name or bring up his tweets, this was presumably an effort to address any issues that may have arisen as a result of his comments.