Meta, YouTube Reverse Ad Bans on Elon Musk Documentary
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
Initial rejections based on political content restrictions were quickly overturned for the critically acclaimed film.
Meta and YouTube have reversed initial decisions to block advertising for "Musk," a new documentary directed by Alex Gibney, as first reported by TechCrunch. According to reporting from The Hollywood Reporter, TikTok, Meta, YouTube, and X had all previously refused to run paid ads for the film's trailer.
TechCrunch reports that Meta later characterized the rejection as an "error" and confirmed the ads are being restored. YouTube similarly stated that while the ad was "temporarily restricted" by its system, it has been cleared to run following a review. The platforms reportedly cited "political content" as the reason for the initial rejections; TikTok maintains it does not run such ads, and Meta announced last year it would stop accepting political ads in the European Union.
Bleecker Street, the film's U.S. distributor, told The Hollywood Reporter it had appealed the rejections. The documentary, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and holds a 100% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is scheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on October 9.
While Meta and YouTube pivoted, X's rejection remains. TechCrunch notes that X owner Elon Musk recently criticized Gibney, stating "Dogshit is worth more respect than Gibney." Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Universal Pictures initially wavered on international distribution due to concerns regarding the Trump administration, though the studio later confirmed it will release the film in theaters.