One of X's key advertisers, Apple, will cease advertising on the platform, according to a report from Axios.
Apple follows in the footsteps of advertisers like IBM and European Commission, which suspended ads on X amid increased anti-Semitism on the platform. According to research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, X has failed to moderate hate speech on its platform that promotes anti-Semitic conspiracies, praises Hitler, and dehumanizes Muslims and Palestinians.
But X is not limited to maintaining these publications. Its owner, Elon Musk, is fanning the flames of that hatred. In one particularly egregious incident, Musk responded, "You told the real truth" to a post that echoed the same violent anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that championed the 2018 attack and murders on the Pittsburgh Synagogue.
Media Matters for America, a left-wing media watchdog, published a report which shows how advertisements from companies such as Apple, IBM, Bravo, Oracle and Xfinity have appeared alongside posts praising Nazi ideology.
Linda Yaccarino, X's new CEO and former NBCUniversal advertising executive, has attempted to calm advertisers, although her efforts don't appear to be working in light of recent events.
«X's point of view has always been very clear that discrimination by everyone should STOP in all areas; I think that's something we can and should all agree on," he wrote Thursday afternoon. “In regards to this platform, X has also been extremely clear about our efforts to combat anti-Semitism and discrimination. There is no place for it anywhere in the world: it is ugly and wrong. Final point.”— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) November 16th 2023
X's advertising business has been volatile since last year, when Elon Musk officially became owner of the platform formerly known as Twitter. About a month after taking office, Musk tweeted that Apple “generally stopped advertising on Twitter» but after meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook at the company's Cupertino headquarters, the two appeared to resolve some disagreements. Then in January, the company signed deals with ad tech companies. DoubleVerify e IntegralAds (IAS) to help advertisers ensure their ads do not include inappropriate content, and Yaccarino's appointment in May was supposed to ease advertisers' concerns about the increasingly hostile platform. But Musk continues to dig his own grave and that of his platform by alienating key revenue drivers.
As Musk continues to harbor anti-Semitic conspiracies, the White House weighed in with a declaration condemning the promotion of anti-Semitic and racist hatred.
“It is unacceptable to repeat at any time the horrible lie behind the most fatal act of anti-Semitism in American history, much less one month after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” the White House spokesman wrote. , Andrew Bates. "We condemn in the strongest terms this abhorrent promotion of anti-Semitic and racist hatred, which goes against our fundamental values as Americans."
