YouTube and Meta will now allow paid ads for "Musk" — filmmaker Alex Gibney's documentary about SpaceX and X CEO Elon Musk — after criticism emerged that major platforms were suppressing promotion of a film seen as unfavorable to one of the most powerful people in tech.
Here's what to know
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two companies have signed off on ads for the film from Bleecker Street, the studio behind the documentary, after initially refusing them. TikTok and X remained undecided and have yet to run the ad.
YouTube, TikTok, and Meta had reportedly turned down the trailer as "political content." X, which Musk owns, also reportedly declined advertising for Bleecker Street's other upcoming releases.
Running four hours, "Musk" premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, where it earned rave reviews.
Universal Pictures is distributing the movie internationally and reportedly hesitated about releasing it. Evan Langweiler, Universal's Executive Vice President of Global Communications and Media Relations, told The Hollywood Reporter that "the studio remains committed to releasing [Musk] in theaters internationally."
What's being done?
According to the companies, YouTube lifted a short-lived restriction on the ads, and Meta has agreed to carry them after taking another look at its rejection.
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Those changes came after Bleecker Street appealed the original decisions.
YouTube said the ads were "temporarily restricted," while Meta told The Hollywood Reporter that its first rejection had been "an error."
Where can I learn more?
The ad approval reversal is part of a wider fight over how Musk and his companies are portrayed online. The articles below look at the European Union's scrutiny of X, backlash to Tesla advertising, and a viral anti-billionaire ad.
• In the EU, regulators hit X with a $140 million fine over deceptive design practices.
• Musk faced backlash over "shockingly greedy" Tesla advertisements that surfaced online.
• A viral campaign slammed Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Sam Altman with a dystopian vision.
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