NewsGuard, a misinformation watchdog, reports that some Twitter Premium subscribers who spread misinformation may qualify for X’s ad revenue program. Their analysis indicated ads from major brands appeared under posts with false claims about the Israel-Hamas war, potentially rewarding “misinformation super-spreaders.” Despite Twitter’s policy against sharing revenue with posts flagged by Community Notes, many such posts did not have notes and still featured ads. This raises concerns about Twitter’s effectiveness in combating misinformation and hate speech.
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Elon Musk’s social media company X is facing a potential loss of $75 million in ad revenue due to a boycott by major brands like Disney and Warner Bros, following Musk’s support of an antisemitic post. The company, which has seen a significant reduction in content moderation under Musk, leading to an increase in hate speech, is also suing Media Matters for defamation over a report on brand ads appearing next to offensive content. With over 200 companies possibly pausing ads, X’s financial struggles continue.
Elon Musk announced that X (formerly Twitter) will start displaying headlines again in preview cards with URLs, after removing them last month. In an upcoming update, the title will be overlaid on the upper portion of the image of a URL card. Musk did not provide a specific timeline or example of the new card layout. This change may benefit publications that rely on standard formats, but its effectiveness will depend on the design of the new card.
Following Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, numerous advertisers have halted their spending, primarily due to uncertainties about content moderation under Musk’s leadership. Musk’s controversial tweets and an observed increase in hate speech on the platform have exacerbated these concerns. In response, Musk has communicated his commitment to maintaining a level of content moderation and is actively engaging with advertisers to address their concerns. The situation underscores the complex relationship between social media platforms, free speech, and advertising, with Twitter’s future and its appeal to advertisers hanging in the balance.
In response to Apple and other advertisers temporarily pausing their investments due to concerns over antisemitic content, X CEO Linda Yaccarino has sent a memo to employees defending the platform’s efforts to combat discrimination. Yaccarino believes that the pause is a result of a misleading article and urges employees to stay focused on their mission to protect free speech. Apple has not yet made a public response.