A Bombshell Report Found at Least 18 Brands' Ads Were Placed Next to a Verified Pro-Nazi X Account Gilead Sciences and NCTA halted ad spending on X (formerly Twitter) because their ads were placed next to fascist content.
By Madeline Garfinkle Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- Media Matters found that 18 brands' ads were featured alongside pro-Hitler content on X.
- Post-Elon Musk takeover, X seeks to lure advertisers back amid content moderation concerns.
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Two brands have suspended advertising on the platform formerly known as Twitter, now X, due to their ads appearing alongside a verified account that promotes fascism, including content celebrating Hitler and the Nazi Party, CNN reported.
Pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences and NCTA (The Internet and Television Association) suspended ad spending after being notified their ads had appeared next to content from the account.
"We take the responsible placement of NCTA ads very seriously and are concerned that our post about the future of broadband technology appeared next to this highly disturbing content," Brian Dietz, an NCTA spokesperson, told the outlet. "Brand safety will remain an utmost priority for NCTA, which means suspending advertising on Twitter/X for the foreseeable future and heavily limiting NCTA's organic presence on the platform."
The ad placement was first found by the nonprofit Media Matters for America, which published a report on Wednesday that found 18 brands, including Abobe, Samsung, Amazon and Office Depot, had ads placed alongside the pro-Hitler X account, which the organization stated "encourages antisemitic harassment."
Related: Elon Musk Accused of Deliberately Slowing Down Links to News Outlets and Competitors on X
"Media Matters and other observers have documented how X has remained a dangerous cesspool of content, especially for advertisers," the organization wrote in the report. "Since Elon Musk took over the company, X has placed ads for numerous brands directly on Holocaust denial, white nationalist and neo-Nazi accounts."
Following Media Matters' publication of the report, X suspended the account in question.
X has been attempting to win back advertisers who left following Elon Musk's takeover due to concerns about how the platform's approach to content moderation might change. In May, X's ad revenue was down 59% as compared to a year earlier.
During an interview with CNBC last week, Linda Yaccarino, who started as CEO of X in June, stated that many advertisers have returned and the company is nearing a "break-even" point. A source from X told Axios that it is true some advertisers have circled back, but it's unclear if their spending is on par with what it was in the past.
Related: Twitter Is Offering Free Ads to Bring Advertisers Back
