In a significant development, 164 Jewish rabbis and activists have urged tech giants Apple, Google, IBM, Amazon, and Disney to cease advertising on the X platform with Apple and IBM taking the lead to halt advertising on the platform (formerly Twitter)
This comes in the wake of Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic post, causing a public outcry and widespread condemnation. Notably, Musk faced backlash after expressing agreement with a post on X that propagated antisemitic conspiracy theories.
The controversy has prompted Apple, a major advertiser on X, to suspend all advertising on the platform, following a similar move by IBM.
The fallout gained momentum as Apple ads were reportedly found alongside far-right content on X, prompting concerns about the alignment of major corporations with controversial online narratives. Joining the call for advertising cessation on X, left-leaning nonprofit Media Matters for America highlighted Apple, IBM, Amazon, and Oracle among the companies whose ads appeared next to far-right posts, intensifying scrutiny on corporate advertising practices.
The situation escalated when Musk’s X post echoed the false claim that Jewish communities endorse “dialectical hatred against whites.”
This sparked widespread condemnation, including from the White House, where spokesperson Andrew Bates declared it “unacceptable to repeat the hideous lie behind the most fatal act of Antisemitism in American history.” In response to mounting pressure, both Apple and IBM have taken the step to suspend advertising on X, emphasizing the growing significance of corporate responsibility in navigating the complex landscape of online platforms and controversial content
X (Formerly Twitter) President’s Tweet In Response to Antisemitism
President of X has openly expressed the platform’s decision to prevent antisemitism as she tweeted Elon Musk’s stance on the issue which sought to clearly criticize Jew hatred.
X has been extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination. There’s absolutely no place for it anywhere in the world. https://t.co/a3gGZrLm2p
— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) November 17, 2023
Elon Musk has refuted the claims, stating that he did not intend to promote antisemitism on his platform. He further tweeted a video of Ben Shapiro slamming all forms of Jew hatred which many have opined that Elon Musk seems to support the Jewish community.
Elon Musk’s Tweet Following Antisemitic Rant by an X User
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2023
