Tech billionaire Elon Musk (51) has threatened to publicly expose advertisers who no longer place ads on Twitter.
In a tweet Saturday night, the new Twitter owner responded to a right-wing lobbyist’s suggestion to name advertisers to counter-boycott. In his response, Musk wrote: “Thanks. A thermonuclear naming and embarrassment is exactly what will happen if this doesn’t stop.”
companies’ concerns
Volkswagen Group, pharmaceutical company Pfizer and food giant Mondelez recently announced that they want to suspend their ads on Twitter. Companies worrying about their ads appearing alongside negative content is not a new phenomenon. Google’s video subsidiary YouTube has also struggled with this.
Musk has expressed these concerns, with frequent criticism that Twitter restricts freedom of expression too much. He tried to reassure advertisers with an open letter last week: Twitter will not be a place to do anything without consequences. He emphasizes that even now, nothing has changed in the content rules of the platform. However, some advertisers hold back.
Activists said to threaten freedom of expression
Musk complained about the massive drop in sales on Friday and accused activist groups of putting pressure on companies. These unspecified activists sought to destroy freedom of speech in America.
Right-wing Internet lobbyist Mike Davis later suggested on Twitter that advertisers who succumb to such pressure be counter-boycotted. Davis has vilified the “culture of cancellation” in various organizations and wants to hold Internet companies responsible for the alleged suppression of conservative views.
Musk completed the nearly $44 billion Twitter purchase last week and assumed debt due, among other things. Ad revenue makes up nearly all of Twitter’s revenue, making its decline particularly painful. (SDA)