Apple suspends advertising on X following Musk's endorsement of antisemitic post.

Apple has reportedly decided to halt its advertising on X, following similar moves by IBM and the European Commission, amid rising concerns over antisemitism on the platform, Axios reports.

This decision comes as X, under Elon Musk's ownership, faces criticism for not adequately moderating hate speech, including antisemitic content and dehumanizing rhetoric against Muslims and Palestinians. Research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate highlights X's struggles with moderating such content.

Musk himself has been accused of exacerbating the situation. In a recent instance, he responded affirmatively to a post promoting an antisemitic conspiracy theory similar to that cited by the perpetrator of the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue attack. Apple has not yet responded to TechCrunch's request for comment on their advertising pause.

A report from Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog, revealed that ads from major companies like Apple and IBM have appeared alongside posts endorsing Nazi ideology. Linda Yaccarino, X’s newly appointed CEO, has tried to reassure advertisers about the platform's commitment to fighting antisemitism and discrimination. She emphasized that there is no place for such hate, but her efforts seem to be faltering in the wake of recent events.

Since Musk's takeover, X's advertising landscape has been turbulent. After an initial claim by Musk that Apple had "mostly stopped advertising on Twitter," he met with Apple CEO Tim Cook, seemingly resolving some disputes. In January, X partnered with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science to help advertisers avoid associating their ads with inappropriate content. Yaccarino's appointment in May aimed to further allay advertisers' concerns.

However, Musk's continued engagement with antisemitic conspiracy theories has led to criticism from various quarters, including the White House. In a statement, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates condemned the promotion of antisemitic and racist hate, asserting that it contradicts American values and is unacceptable.