TikTok has permanently banned the advertising account for "Musk", a four-hour documentary about Elon Musk. The film's distributor, Bleecker Street, was told the account was suspended because of its political content.
The film is directed by Alex Gibney, who has won an Oscar. Ads for the trailer were first rejected by Meta and YouTube too, then allowed. Meta blamed an error.
X, the platform Musk owns, has refused to carry ads for the film. It opened in four cinemas last weekend and is now showing more widely.
🔍 The Backstory
Platforms write rules about political ads and decide case by case what counts. Film trailers often sit in a grey area, because they sell a product but discuss politics.
Musk has become a major political figure. He backed Donald Trump and uses X to promote his own views.
TikTok's US business is partly owned by Larry Ellison, another Trump supporter. The film is due to stream on HBO next year. HBO is now part of Paramount/Skydance, led by Ellison's son David.
🎯 Why It Matters
A handful of companies decide which films and ads people can see. One ban can make a documentary invisible to a whole generation of viewers.
TikTok has permanently banned the advertising account for "Musk", a four-hour documentary about Elon Musk. The film's distributor, Bleecker Street, was told the account was suspended because of its political content.
The film is directed by Alex Gibney, who has won an Oscar. Ads for the trailer were first rejected by Meta and YouTube too, then allowed. Meta blamed an error.
X, the platform Musk owns, has refused to carry ads for the film. It opened in four cinemas last weekend and is now showing more widely.
Platforms write rules about political ads and decide case by case what counts. Film trailers often sit in a grey area, because they sell a product but discuss politics.
Musk has become a major political figure. He backed Donald Trump and uses X to promote his own views.
TikTok's US business is partly owned by Larry Ellison, another Trump supporter. The film is due to stream on HBO next year. HBO is now part of Paramount/Skydance, led by Ellison's son David.
A handful of companies decide which films and ads people can see. One ban can make a documentary invisible to a whole generation of viewers.