Tech giant Apple, along with several other major companies, has suspended all advertising on X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, following Musk's endorsement of antisemitic conspiracy theories. This move comes in the wake of reports that Apple ads were being placed alongside far-right content. IBM, Disney, Lionsgate, Comcast NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Paramount Global have also halted their advertising on the platform for similar reasons.
The controversy began when Musk responded to a post sharing an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X, calling it 'actual truth'. This endorsement was met with widespread criticism, including a condemnation from the White House. Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, noted that the post referred to a conspiracy theory that motivated the man who killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.
Musk, however, denies he is antisemitic and later clarified that his comments referred not to all Jewish people but to groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other unspecified 'Jewish communities'. Despite this, Musk has faced accusations of tolerating antisemitic messages on X since he purchased it in November 2022.
In response to the controversy, an X executive stated that the company did a sweep on the accounts that Media Matters found and they will no longer be monetizable. Musk also accused Media Matters of attacking the company's right to free speech and announced plans to file a lawsuit against them. The European Commission has also condemned X's promotion of hate speech and confirmed it would no longer advertise on any social media platform.