X is still refusing adverts for Musk, a critical new documentary about the platform's own owner. A private company's right, or an abuse of its power?
Meta and YouTube first blocked the film's trailer ads as political content, then called it an error and let them run. TikTok had not confirmed a decision. Alex Gibney's near four-hour film opens in US cinemas on 9 October, and Musk has threatened legal action over it.
What happened
Alex Gibney's documentary Musk, distributed in the US by Bleecker Street, premiered at the Venice film festival and opens in New York and Los Angeles cinemas on 9 October. Paid adverts for its trailer were initially rejected by TikTok, Meta, YouTube and X, with platforms citing rules on political content. Meta later said this was an error and restored the ads, and YouTube said the ad had been cleared after review. X, which Musk owns, still declined. Musk has called the film a hit piece and threatened legal action.
Why people disagree
One side says any company may choose which adverts it carries, just as a newspaper can, and nobody is stopped from seeing the film or hearing about it elsewhere. The other side says X is a major public forum, and refusing paid promotion for a film criticising its owner looks like using platform power to limit criticism. Some add that vague political-content rules, enforced by automated systems, catch legitimate work too.
What's still unclear
It is unclear whether X has given any reason for refusing the adverts, whether TikTok will allow them, and whether the brief blocks will affect the film's audience. Musk's threatened legal action has not been tested in court.
Sources
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