Musk is attending the Cannes Lions this week with the purpose of reassuring promoting teams and international manufacturers about the way forward for X.
Marc Piasecki | Getty Photos
Elon Musk on Wednesday sought to refute his feedback lashing out at advertisers fleeing his social media platform X.
On the Cannes Lions promoting pageant in Cannes, France, Musk was requested by WPP CEO Mark Learn what he meant when he instructed advertisers who threatened to drag advertisements from the platform late final yr to “go for your self.”
Musk mentioned it was meant as a basic level about freedom of speech and never as commentary for the broader promoting business.
“It wasn’t for advertisers as a complete,” Musk mentioned. “With regard to freedom of expression, I believe it is very important have a worldwide platform for freedom of expression, the place folks with a wider vary of opinions can specific their views.”
“In some instances, there have been advertisers pushing for censorship,” Musk mentioned. “In the end…if we now have to select between censorship and dropping cash, [or] censorship and cash, or freedom of speech and cash, we will select the latter.”
“We’re going to assist freedom of expression relatively than conform to be censored due to cash, which I believe is the suitable ethical determination,” he added.
Musk flew to Cannes earlier this week with the purpose of reassuring advert teams and international manufacturers about the way forward for X.
He was joined by Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X and former president of worldwide promoting and partnerships for NBC Common.
Platform totally free expression
Final yr, a number of the world’s largest advertisers included Apple, IBM, DisneyAnd Sony pulled their advertisements on
In November, Musk traveled to Israel to satisfy with native officers after being accused by civil rights teams of amplifying anti-Jewish hatred of X.
The tech billionaire, requested on the time if this journey was an “apology tour” to advertisers, mentioned on stage on the DealBook Summit 2023 in New York that advertisers who threaten to cease spending on advertisements on the platform ought to cease promoting on his platform .
“Do not promote,” he mentioned in an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin in November. “If somebody goes to attempt to blackmail me with promoting? Blackmail me with cash? Go the fuck your self.”
Musk on Wednesday walked again his assaults on advertisers.
“After all, advertisers have the suitable to look subsequent to content material they discover suitable with their manufacturers,” he mentioned. “What’s not cool is insisting that there should not be any content material on the platforms that they do not agree with.”
He added: “For X to be the general public sq. for the world, it higher be a platform for freedom of speech – that does not imply folks can say unlawful issues; it’s freedom of expression throughout the limits of the regulation.”
Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the mother or father firm of CNBC.
