Disney, Apple, and More Cut Ties with X Over Musk’s Comments

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Washington, Nov 18: The backlash against Elon Musk intensified on Friday following his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X, resulting in major advertisers on the platform cutting their spending. Notable companies such as Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount Global, and Apple have paused their advertising on X. IBM had already taken this step on Thursday.

Musk, who acquired Twitter last year and rebranded it as X, has faced criticism for months for permitting and amplifying antisemitic content on the platform. The situation escalated when he agreed with a post on X linking Jewish people facing antisemitism to promoting hatred against whites and supporting the immigration of minorities.

Jewish groups likened the original post to replacement theory, a conspiracy suggesting that nonwhite immigrants, orchestrated by Jews, aim to replace the white race. The White House condemned Musk for endorsing this anti-Jewish conspiracy theory, and X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, emphasized the platform’s efforts against antisemitism.

Despite the advertising pauses, an X spokesman declined to comment, and Apple did not respond. Musk later stated that accounts advocating extreme violence would be suspended, specifying two phrases associated with Palestinian supporters that wouldn’t be tolerated on the site.

Advertisers had been wary of X since Musk’s acquisition, as he expressed a desire for more free speech and relaxed content moderation rules, allowing brand ads to potentially appear next to offensive or hateful content.

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