If you’re a brand or agency that still has a presence on X (formerly Twitter), then last week’s announcement by the World Federation of Advertisers that they’re shutting down their nonprofit monitoring project – in response to a legal threat from Elon Musk – should be the wake-up call for you to leave the platform permanently.
It’s taken us a while to get this far, but we’ve now passed the point of no return: here are the reasons why it’s finally time to delete your account (and why we’re doing the same).
Anyone who uses X/Twitter knows how profoundly things have changed since Musk bought the company in 2022. Policy changes and corporate restructuring supposedly designed to protect free speech and profitability have instead changed the site beyond recognition.
From animal cruelty videos to deepfake porn, the amount of illegal and/or harmful content spreading in what was once known as the Twittersphere has become unmanageable. The recent far-right riots in the UK were a stark example of this. Unchecked online disinformation catalyzed real-world mob violence, incited by figures such as Tommy Robinson (banned from Twitter in 2019 but reinstated by X) and Elon himself, who enthusiastically shared content from the neo-fascist hate group Britain First.
That alone is enough to give any self-respecting advertiser pause for thought. Who wants to be associated with something like that? How can anyone claim that X is a safe or usable space for brands and audiences when this kind of discourse is not only allowed but actively encouraged?
Elon’s flirtations with the far right and his failure to moderate or lead X are one thing. His aggressive responses to this issue by advertisers should be the final nail in his coffin.
The Global Alliance for Responsible Media was founded by the WFA after the 2019 Christchurch attacks and has helped brands ensure their content does not inadvertently appear alongside illegal material, including terrorism or child sexual abuse. And as X has become increasingly hospitable to such material, ad spend on the platform has plummeted since 2022. Musk has taken this shift as a personal insult, portraying brands as “extorting” the platform by taking their ad spend elsewhere, and claiming GARM is part of a sinister plot to undermine his business.
This level of paranoia would be laughable if it hadn’t also led to Musk’s legal threats that would have forced GARM to shut down permanently, leaving companies unable to make more informed decisions about where to spend their money.
Many brands talk about purpose and positive impact, but in the end it is our actions that count: whether you look at it from the perspective of commercial reputation, consumer safety, value for money, ethics or simply common sense, there is no longer a rational argument that working with or advertising on X offers a brand or agency a sure return on their investment.
Of course, we wouldn’t say that without also taking a stand. At Fox + Hare, we will no longer accept client work that involves working with or advertising on X: We no longer consider that a justifiable use of our clients’ time, effort or money. We think it’s time other agencies and brands came to the same conclusion.
