X loses major advertising clients again after anti-Semitism scandal

After a scandal over anti-Semitism and Nazi content at Twitter’s successor X, other major advertising clients are turning their backs on Elon Musk’s online platform. According to media reports, Apple and Disney stopped all advertising on X on Friday.

Film studio Lionsgate also confirmed that advertising on the platform had been suspended. Computer giant IBM had previously stopped advertising on X. According to the New York Times, the company wanted to spend $1 million there this quarter.

The reason for IBM’s decision was that the company’s advertisements on X were discovered alongside Nazi contributions and anti-Semitic statements. The organization Media Matters showed how advertising appeared on X from IBM, Apple and the software company Oracle, among others, next to posts with positive statements about Adolf Hitler and the ideology of the National Socialists.

Musk’s approval of anti-Semitic tweet

In addition, Musk sparked controversy with support for an anti-Semitic post, which earned him sharp criticism from the White House, among other things. Musk wrote on Wednesday about the post that it contained the “actual truth.”

In later statements, Musk did not retract his position, but only qualified it slightly: he referred to “some groups” such as the Jewish organization Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which “actually spread anti-white racism and anti-Asian racism”. At the same time, he reiterated that he believed there was a problem with racism against whites.

X’s economic situation is already difficult. Musk admitted several times that ad revenues were only about half what they were during the Twitter era. He tries to make more money through subscription offers. According to experts, this does not even come close to compensating for the loss of advertising revenue. (sda/dpa)