Apple, IBM, Disney and more: Here are the companies that have pulled advertising on X

By Weston Blasi

Billionaire X owner Elon Musk responded to a social-media post that promoted an antisemitic conspiracy last week

Multiple high-profile companies have suspended advertising on X, the company formerly known as Twitter, following Elon Musk's apparent endorsement of antisemitic conspiracy theories last week.

Musk posted to X, "you have said the actual truth," in response to a post that claimed Jewish communities support "dialectical hatred against whites." Musk and X CEO Linda Yaccarino followed the firestorm from Musk's tweets with posts stating they are against antisemitism.

Over the past few months, some companies have also had their ads on X appear next to content favorable to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, according to a study from Media Matters, a progressive watchdog organization.

Here's a list of brands that have suspended advertising on the social-media platform since Nov. 16:

Apple

Apple Inc. (AAPL) suspended its advertising on X last week shortly after Musk's tweet. The tech giant was one of the companies cited in the Media Matters study, whose ads ran adjacent to pro-Nazi posts on the platform.

IBM

IBM (IBM) was one of the first brands to pull ads from X, on Nov. 16.

"IBM has zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation," the company said in a statement.

Comcast

Comcast (CMCSA), the parent company of NBCUniversal, paused its advertising efforts on X, according to a report from Axios.

Comcast's pause is particularly noteworthy as Yaccarino left NBCUniversal to join X earlier this year. Yaccarino was chair of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal and was partially brought on to help boost advertisers' relationship with X after Musk's takeover.

Walt Disney Co.

Disney (DIS) joined the group of advertisers that paused spending on X, according to the Hollywood Reporter, a particularly big blow to X considering Musk once called Disney one of the social-media platform's top advertisers.

Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) was another entertainment brand that said it will "pause" advertising on X in wake of Musk's tweet, according to Variety.

See also: Warner Bros.' stock sees worst day in two years after warning about debt

Lions Gate

Despite releasing its high-profile blockbuster movie "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbird & Snakes," a film that the studio would likely want to promote, Lions Gate (LGF.A) said it won't advertise on X moving forward.

A company spokesperson told Variety it has "suspended advertising on X because of Elon Musk's recent antisemitic tweet."

Paramount Global

The company that owns Paramount+ (PARA), CBS, and numerous other entertainment properties told Axios it will pause advertising on X.

Sony Pictures

Sony (SONY), the Japanese entertainment brand behind Spider-Man, became the latest company to say it won't advertise on X, according to Deadline.

See also: Biden administration isn't ending U.S. reliance on Elon Musk's SpaceX, White House says

A few days after his comments on X, Musk called the criticism of his tweets "bogus" and said some large advertisers are "the greatest oppressors of your right to free speech."

The White House called Musk's promotion of an antisemitic post "abhorrent."

Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, and said X was still in negative cash flow as recently as July due to a 50% drop in advertising.

-Weston Blasi

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11-20-23 1654ET

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