Several tech giants have pulled the plug on advertising on X, including one of its biggest advertisers Apple, following Elon Musk's supposed antisemitic remarks posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The move from the iPhone maker came after left-leaning nonprofit Media Matters published a report that stated ads from big brands such as IBM, Amazon, Apple and Oracle ran next to posts "that touts Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party."
Apple is a key player in boosting X's ad revenue, frequently promoting its products and creating "hashflag" emojis for big events that would show whenever a user interacted with posts. However, the tech giant's relationship with the Musk-owned platform has been turbulent.
In September, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared that advertising on X was something he had constantly thought about, but also expressed that there were things about the platform that he didn't like.
"It's something we ask ourselves. Generally, my view is Twitter is an important property. I like the concept that it's there for discourse, and there is a town square. There's also some things that I don't like," he explained.
When asked about the antisemitism protruding the app, Cook responded to the reporter, saying "It's abhorrent. Just point blank. There is no place for it."
Musk Stands Firm in His Controversial Views
Despite the blows, Musk is showing no signs of stopping with the expression of his beliefs. On Wednesday, Musk responded to a post containing antisemitic rhetoric, saying "You have said the actual truth."
The ADL unjustly attacks the majority of the West, despite the majority of the West supporting the Jewish people and Israel.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 15, 2023
This is because they cannot, by their own tenets, criticize the minority groups who are their primary threat.
It is not right and needs to stop.
This drew criticism not just from brands, but also condemnation from the White House itself.
"It is unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of Antisemitism in American history at any time, let alone one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust," the White House said in a statement.
X CEO Wants To Put a Stop on Antisemitism
X CEO Linda Yaccarino has also cleared the air on X's point of view. In a post, Yaccarino shared that discrimination should stop across the board.
X’s point of view has always been very clear that discrimination by everyone should STOP across the board -- I think that's something we can and should all agree on. When it comes to this platform -- X has also been extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and…
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) November 16, 2023
However, users were quick to point out that Yaccarino's statement conflicted with the X owner.
"Linda, have you checked with your boss and are you aware of the programming you are running on your website? This is an official X partnership, yes?" user Brett Meiselas responded in a post, citing X's partnership with far-right political commentator Tucker Carlson.
In an email to Axios, X stated that it carried out "a sweep" on the accounts that Media Matters found to have posted antisemitic remarks, stating that they "will [no] longer be monetizable" and will be labeled "Sensitive Media."
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