Social media sites offer another look at future by refusing to run ads for Musk

The sites that refuse to moderate hate speech also refuse to run paid advertisements for Alex Gibney's new documentary about the owner of X.

By Matt Schimkowitz  |  September 25, 2026 | 7:15pm
(Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
News News Musk
Social media sites offer another look at future by refusing to run ads for Musk

Social media companies are, once again, offering users a look at the future. No, we’re not talking about adorable AI logos with a great ass. We’re talking about, you guessed it, more censorship toward ideas they don’t like, such as criticism of the obscenely wealthy owner of one such social media company. Per The Hollywood Reporter, every single major social media site, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and, yes, X, the Everything App, has refused to run paid ads for Musk, the new documentary from Alex Gibney about the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. At least that’s what sources inside Bleeker Street, the film’s distributor, have told THR.  Apparently, they won’t moderate hate speech or CSAM, but an ad for Musk is beyond the pale. 

According to Bleeker Street, all these sites, which for years have claimed to be open platforms and the public square, labeled the ads as “political content.” Therefore, ads for a documentary film fall under the category of a political advertisement, despite the film being about a private citizen and former government employee who just happens to be the trillionaire owner of X. Bleeker Street has appealed the decision, which Meta already rejected. TikTok and YouTube are still open to allowing the ads to run, while X has refused outright to buy ads because its owner is a free speech absolutist. 

This is the latest setback for the film. Earlier this month, Musk‘s distributor, Universal, started getting cold feet about international distribution for the four-hour exposé into the trillionaire supervillain who lies about his video game skills and will likely kill millions after taking his golden chainsaw to USAID. Musk himself has already threatened legal action against the film. Comedy may finally be legal, but we guess the legality of documentaries is still up for debate. 

Musk opens in theaters on October 9.

 
Join the discussion...
Keep scrolling for more great stories.