IBM halts ads on Elon Musk’s X following placement next to antisemitic content

Armonk-based IBM (NYSE:IBM) reported it was immediately suspending its advertising on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after discovering its advertisements were placed next to antisemitic content praising Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.

“IBM has zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this entirely unacceptable situation,” IBM said in a statement that was first reported by the Financial Times.

The media watchdog group Media Matters reported that IBM and other prominent advertisers including Apple, Comcast and Oracle had their advertisements placed next to antisemitic content on X, which has come under criticism from civil rights organizations for enabling a new wave of intolerant content since Elon Musk acquired the company in 2022. Musk was the subject of criticism earlier this week when he appeared to endorse a post on X that repeated the antisemitic slander that Jews are responsible for generating hatred against white people. Musk did not apologize for his comments, although X CEO Linda Yaccarino issued a statement yesterday that insisted X did not encourage antisemitism.

“When it comes to this platform – X has also been extremely clear about our efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination,” she said. “There’s no place for it anywhere in the world – it’s ugly and wrong. Full stop.”