General Motors stops advertising on Twitter after acquiring Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has finally taken over Twitter after much haggling and fuss. General Motors is the first automaker to react: with an immediate advertising freeze on the social media platform.

The advertising freeze is temporary. General Motors, the parent company of Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick, among others, speaks of normal business. If there is a significant media platform change, the auto giant will not run paid ads for a while until it is clear what the platform’s new direction will be.

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter is controversial

Musk’s takeover of Twitter is controversial. The eccentric, fickle Tesla boss wants to relax the rules on the site and maybe even let Donald Trump back in. The former President of the United States has been banned for inciting violence and inciting the storming of the Capitol on January 6.

Musk wants a less strict moderation policy on Twitter

The first thing Musk did when he took over Twitter on Oct. 27 was fire the board. The American-Canadian South African also wants to send around three quarters of the workforce onto the streets. Musk wants a less strict moderation policy on Twitter so that healthy “town square discussions” can flourish and fewer left and right bubbles arise. Experts call this hopelessly naive and even dangerous.

Advertisers are wary of Twitter’s new direction

Musk says he doesn’t want to make money from Twitter, but wants to help humanity, which he says he loves. Freedom of expression is a valuable asset, he says. Although it’s quite ironic that he blocks anyone who doesn’t agree with him. Advertisers are – and rightly so – suspicious of Twitter’s new direction. If everyone can say whatever they want, the problem of hate speech becomes even greater.