Need a quick list of companies that don’t support free political speech? I’m the bearer of good news, made possible courtesy of Elon Musk.
Musk, you doubtlessly know, finalized his takeover of Twitter last month. In just over a week since, a number of companies have put a pause on advertising buys on the social media platform, apparently concerned that Elon’s promise to uphold free speech on the platform makes it unpalatable.
According to reports from both the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, at least four major companies have paused their advertising.
As of Thursday, the list grew by four. Food companies General Mills and Mondelez International, drug company Pfizer and auto company Audi all had reportedly stopped their advertising purchases.
It’s a club that other companies might be joining: The Post had previously reported other companies were looking at pausing ad buys and one of the “big four” advertising firms had recommended their clients put a hold on buying ads, as well.
“A lot of high profile chief marketing officers are very worried about Twitter,” one source said. “They’re working with agencies to create contingency plans for moving money away from Twitter.”
Why the move? Do you even have to ask?
“Some advertisers are concerned that Mr. Musk could scale back content moderation, which they worry would lead to an increase in objectionable content on the platform,” the Journal reported.
“Others are temporarily halting their ads because of the uncertainty at the company as top executives exit and Mr. Musk considers a raft of changes, some of the people said.”
Do you use Twitter?
Yes: 24% (363 Votes)
No: 76% (1146 Votes)
Scaling back content moderation? Oh no, too much free speech! That’s a bit too spicy for the likes of General Mills. Not surprising, since they make Cheerios, a cereal even my spice-averse 2-year-old thinks is too bland.
As for the exit of top executives, keep in mind that, under the leadership of said executives, the company was losing millions of dollars a day.
No one in corporate America who’s looked at the issue could seriously think that pre-Musk Twitter was anything but bloat, bad decisions and missed opportunities. The only thing that could be said for the company’s execs is that at least they’re not the ones who thought it would be a good idea to blow billions on the so-called “Metaverse,” but that’s about it.
In other words, it’s difficult to think that advertisers were scared off because of executive turnover, particularly when those executives needed to be turned over. This is all about speech — and the fact the left expects corporations to performatively huff and puff over the fact Musk doesn’t plan to rein it in the way they want him to.
It’s not just companies exiting, either! Plenty of celebrities are signaling just how disgusted they are with free expression by exiting stage far-left, too.
Here’s singers Sara Bareilles and Toni Braxton rage-quitting the platform. If you’re unaware of who they are, I’m guessing you’re under 25 and can’t remember when they were culturally relevant. Ask your grumpy associate professor of sociology about them; he’ll no doubt regale you with pleasant memories about a period where he still could have made the kind of life choices that didn’t end with him becoming an associate professor of sociology:
Welp. It’s been fun Twitter. I’m out. See you on other platforms, peeps. Sorry, this one’s just not for me. ❤️🙏🏼
— Sara Bareilles (@SaraBareilles) October 30, 2022
I’m shocked and appalled at some of the “free speech” I’ve seen on this platform since its acquisition. Hate speech under the veil of “free speech” is unacceptable; therefore I am choosing to stay off Twitter as it is no longer a safe space for myself, my sons and other POC.
— Toni Braxton (@tonibraxton) October 29, 2022
It’s worth pointing out that, while Toni Braxton seems to have experienced some shocking and appalling “‘free speech’” on Twitter since Musk took over, there seems to be no evidence that speech moderation on a large scale has significantly changed.
Musk himself said that the rules regarding moderation won’t change until a content moderation council meets and has fought back against claims there’s any sort of issue with objectionable tweeting that didn’t exist before he took over the company:
Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.
No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022
Again, to be crystal clear, Twitter’s strong commitment to content moderation remains absolutely unchanged.
In fact, we have actually seen hateful speech at times this week decline *below* our prior norms, contrary to what you may read in the press.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022
Excellent summary of Twitter’s Trust & Safety from the head of the team https://t.co/sJ1MBf9Mub
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022
If this feels like a mass exodus, however, it isn’t. Nobody needed Mondelez International to stuff Oreos, its flagship product, down your gullet at every turn. Nor is there a great need to see Sara Bareilles — the woman behind “Love Song” and literally nothing else worth listening to — tweeting brave and inspirational stuff like this:
YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES. #DayOfTheGirl https://t.co/BzYwu9gAYZ
— Sara Bareilles (@SaraBareilles) October 11, 2022
So brave. So inspirational. I’m glad Sara Bareilles gave this a million-odd “YES”es, because I can’t think of anyone who would quote tweet a vague hashtag plugged by former first lady Michelle Obama about an effort to “empower and educate adolescent girls.”
But now, we’ve been robbed of this kind of truth-to-power valorousness, all because Twitter might allow people on one side of the sociopolitical spectrum to speak freely again. See what you’ve done, Elon?
I suspect this won’t matter for two reasons, both explained via Musk himself:
Advertisers should support:
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2022
Twitter has had a massive drop in revenue, due to activist groups pressuring advertisers, even though nothing has changed with content moderation and we did everything we could to appease the activists.
Extremely messed up! They’re trying to destroy free speech in America.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022
Twitter is simply the most interesting place on the Internet. That’s why you’re reading this tweet right now.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2022
I doubt that poll is a scientific one, but it’s a decent barometer regarding public sentiment on the platform. No one is particularly impressed with General Mills or Audi for pausing their Twitter ad buys. When all the leftist braying about Twitter becoming a Nazi-infested hellhole dies down, the blue-checkmark journalists will still be there. Sara Bareilles might not be, but more’s the pity.
And yes, the drop in revenue is disconcerting, but those who value liberty can now see which brands actually back it.
There will be a whole faction of people who remember that companies like General Mills and Audi wavered in the face of wokeness, however — and buy accordingly. As for Twitter itself, the controversy alone has made the platform more interesting than it’s been in years.
For every liberal in a huff who deletes the app, someone who stopped paying attention to the platform because it was nothing more than bush-league blue-checks talking to each other in a bubble where they could all pretend they mattered is going to come back. And as for conservatives, they have a handy list of companies to steer clear of. It’s short at the moment, but there’s always space for growth.
