Major brands including Apple, Disney and Warner Brothers have suspended buying ads on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, after billionaire owner Elon Musk tweeted his support for a user’s racist comments attacking Jewish people and promoting the far-right anti-immigrant conspiracy theory known as the “Great Replacement.” It’s the same white supremacist theory espoused by the gunman who attacked Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, killing 11 people.
This week Elon Musk sued the watchdog organization Media Matters, which first reported on his comments. Media Matters rejected the suit as a “frivolous” attempt to silence its reporting. The group also reports X has been placing ads for major brands next to content that touts Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.