After a 15-month hiatus, Apple has resumed advertising on X. The tech giant had previously suspended its advertising activities in November 2023 following controversial remarks by Elon Musk (via MacRumors).
In November 2023, Musk faced widespread criticism for endorsing an antisemitic post on X, which accused Jewish communities of promoting hatred against white people. Musk responded to the post, calling it “the actual truth,” a statement that led to significant backlash.
In response to the controversy, major advertisers, including Apple, Disney, Coca-Cola, Sony, IBM, and Comcast, paused their advertising campaigns on the platform.
Despite the initial pause, several companies cautiously returned to advertising on X over time. Apple’s re-engagement was first noted when ads promoting Safari’s privacy features appeared on the platform. Additionally, the @AppleTV account has been running ads for the Apple TV+ show “Severance.”
The decision to resume advertising comes amid ongoing concerns about X’s content moderation policies. Under Musk’s ownership, the platform has adopted a more lenient approach, allowing extremist views to proliferate.
In November 2023, Musk expressed regret over his controversial post, stating, “I’m sorry for that tweet or post. It was foolish of me.” However, during an interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit, he also directed strong language at advertisers who had withdrawn their support, telling them to “go f— yourself.”
Safari. A browser that’s actually private.
— Apple (@Apple)
Apple’s return to advertising on X reflects a broader trend among major brands reassessing their relationships with the platform. While some have resumed their campaigns, others continue to monitor X’s content moderation practices closely.
As of now, Apple has not issued an official statement regarding its decision to resume advertising on X.
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Guess I won't be buying any new Apple products for the next 4 years – at least.
Time to start buying Apple products again for the next 4 years – at least.
I appreciate when the article is written with standards more like they were in the early days of iPhone in Canada, before the new contributors began to introduce political opinions, slants and biases in their writings, often completely unnecessary to the subject of the article. Usman and Gary’s being OGs here, maybe you can steer them a little bit back to the right course?