- Musk’s X sues brands and trade group over advertising boycott
- The companies named in the suit include food giants Unilever and Mars, healthcare provider CVS Health, renewable energy firm Orsted, and the trade association World Federation of Advertisers (WFA)
- The lawsuit alleges that these entities deprived X of “billions of dollars” in advertising revenue
- “We tried being nice for 2 years and got nothing but empty words. Now, it is war,” Musk said
Musk’s X sues brands and trade group over advertising boycott
Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), has filed a lawsuit against several major companies, accusing them of unlawfully conspiring to boycott the site. The companies named in the suit include food giants Unilever and Mars, healthcare provider CVS Health, renewable energy firm Orsted, and the trade association World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).
The lawsuit alleges that these entities deprived X of “billions of dollars” in advertising revenue following Musk’s acquisition of the platform in 2022. During this period, X experienced a significant drop in ad revenue, which the company attributes to concerns over content moderation under Musk’s leadership.
X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, criticised the alleged boycott, stating that it stifles free expression and that “no small group of people should monopolise what gets monetized.” Musk also voiced his frustration on social media, stating, “We tried being nice for 2 years and got nothing but empty words. Now, it is war.”
Twitter is suing an ad firm for boycotting 😂. Well considering idiot Elon himself told them to “Go fuck yourself” I’m pretty sure that suit is getting laughed at then thrown out. Absolutely delusional 🤣. https://t.co/q5Bw2cL9Tz
— AngryAsianJim 유종일 (@AngryAsianJim) August 6, 2024
The platform claims that the accused companies followed the WFA’s Global Alliance for Responsible Media (Garm) initiative, which aims to combat harmful content on digital platforms. X argues that this adherence led to an unjust boycott that violated U.S. antitrust laws.
X is seeking unspecified damages and a court injunction to prevent further alleged conspiracies to withhold advertising. The company contends that it adheres to industry-standard brand-safety measures comparable to its competitors.