IBM has stopped showing its ads on X (previously Twitter) because Elon Musk is supporting far-right ideas. Musk agreed with posts that promoted antisemitism and white pride. The nonprofit Media Matters pointed out that IBM, Apple, Comcast, and other companies had their ads next to content supporting Nazis and Hitler on X.
IBM told the Financial Times that they have no tolerance for hate speech and discrimination. They have suspended all advertising on X while they look into this unacceptable situation.
Elon Musk’s Controversial Statements
Yesterday on the platform, Musk said it’s really messed up that white people, according to a tweet from a far-right poster, are not “allowed to be proud of their race.” This support for white pride comes a day after Musk agreed with an antisemitic post that claimed Jewish communities are stirring up “hatred against whites.”
Musk told another user that “You have said the actual truth” after the person wrote that they are “deeply disinterested in giving the tiniest shit now about western Jewish populations” facing “hordes of minorities that support flooding their country.” The Atlantic noted that Musk’s tweets are similar to a harmful anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, suggesting there’s a “unified Jewish agenda,” which is considered one of the deadliest in recent American history.
Later, Musk turned his attention to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a nonprofit working against antisemitism.
He claimed that the group unfairly criticizes the majority of the West (without specifying what that includes) because it can’t criticize the minority groups that pose the main threat. Musk had previously threatened to sue the ADL due to the nonprofit’s criticism of loose content moderation on X, which allowed antisemitic content to spread.
Elon Musk’s Continued Grudge and X’s Struggles
He didn’t take legal action, but it’s evident he still holds a grudge and if anything, it has become more widespread. When another user on X asked Musk to specify that his issue is with the ADL and not Jewish communities overall, Musk clarified that his concern “does not include all Jewish communities, but it’s not only about the ADL either.” He stated that he opposes the ADL and “any other groups promoting implicit anti-white racism, anti-Asian racism, or any form of racism.”
Musk has reacted strongly to criticism about how X deals with antisemitic content, especially as the company’s advertising business faces challenges. X CEO Linda Yaccarino mentioned that most of the platform’s major advertisers have come back after initially leaving due to moderation changes.
However, Media Matters demonstrated that these advertisers are now spending significantly less than before. Yaccarino responded on Thursday, writing that X has been “very transparent about our initiatives to fight antisemitism and discrimination.”
Summary
IBM stopped putting ads on X because Elon Musk supported extreme views, like antisemitism and white pride posts. Media Matters pointed out that big companies, including IBM, had their ads next to Nazi-related content on X. IBM, against hate speech, paused all ads while investigating. Musk’s comments on X raised concerns about discrimination and antisemitism.
