Big companies remove X ads because of hate speech

More and more advertisers are leaving Social Network X, formerly Twitter, over concerns that their ads will appear alongside pro-Nazi content and hate speech.

IBM announced this week that it stopped paying for ads on X after learning that its ads frequently appeared alongside posts praising Nazis.

This was a new setback for X, which is still trying to regain major brands and their advertising budgets, which remain its main source of income.

Ads for Apple, Oracle, NBCUniversal’s Bravo network and Comcast were placed alongside anti-Semitic material on X, the liberal advocacy group Media Matters also said in a report released Thursday.

IBM has zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this completely unacceptable situation.

Apple, Oracle, NBCUniversal and Comcast did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

The European Union executive also announced on Friday that it would suspend advertising on X and other social networks, partly due to the increase in hate speech.

Later, Disney, Lionsgate and Paramount Global also confirmed that they would suspend their X advertising campaigns.

Controversial comments

X’s owner, Elon Musk, caused a stir this week with his own posts on the platform, responding to a user who accused Jews of hating white people and declaring indifference to anti-Semitism. You have told the real truthMr. Musk wrote on Wednesday.

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The billionaire has since been accused of tolerating anti-Semitic messages on the platform since purchasing it last year.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms this abhorrent promotion of racist and anti-Semitic hatred, which runs counter to our fundamental values ​​as Americans.White House spokesman Andrew Bates wrote on Friday in response to Elon Musk’s letter.

Linda Yaccarino, President and CEO of X, confirmed this X’s point has always been very clear: discrimination at all levels must stop.

I think this is something we can and should all agree on.she said Thursday.

Ms. Yaccarino, a former executive at NBCUniversal, was hired by Mr. Musk to rebuild relationships with advertisers who fled the platform after it was sold.

Regarding this platform, X has also been very clear about our efforts to combat anti-Semitism and discrimination. There is no place for this anywhere in the world – it is ugly and bad. a periodMs. Yaccarino decided.