Apple has suspended all of its ads on Twitter, now known as X, after ads from Apple and others began to appear alongside posts with radical conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic messages.
According to a report by Axios, Apple received complaints from anonymous users, after which it decided to suspend the entire advertising campaign on X. In addition to Apple, IBM has announced a similar solution.
Media Matters also found that many companies’ ads could be seen alongside extremist and anti-Semitic posts. These companies included Apple, IBM, and Oracle, among others.
Apple made its decision public after Elon Musk praised an anti-Semitic tweet accusing “Jewish communities” of so-called “inciting hostility” against whites.
This is not the first such decision from Apple: when Musk bought Twitter and changed the rules for moderating content and accounts, the company also reduced the volume of ordered advertising. Musk then accused Apple of “hatred of freedom of speech”, but after a meeting with Tim Cook, the advertising campaign was resumed.
Two months ago, Tim Cook explained the resumption of advertising on Twitter, calling the platform important for discussions and exchange of views.
Apple has not yet commented on media reports about another suspension of advertising.
Updated on November 18: On the same day, IBM, Disney, Paramount Global, Liongsgate, and the European Union stopped their advertising campaigns on Twitter.
