TikTok restores 'Musk' doc ad account after ban
Original: TikTok says it’s restored ‘Musk’ documentary advertising account
Why This Matters
Three major platforms blocked then reversed Musk documentary ads within weeks of each other.
TikTok permanently suspended the advertising account of the Elon Musk documentary 'Musk,' citing political content, then reversed course Sunday, calling it 'an error.' Meta and YouTube made similar moves before restoring the account.
A four-hour documentary about Elon Musk directed by Oscar-winner Alex Gibney has now been blocked—then unblocked—on three major platforms. TikTok notified distributor Bleecker Street that the film's advertising account had been 'permanently suspended' for political content. The company reversed that decision Sunday, saying the account was 'restored after an error.' The pattern mirrors what happened on Meta and YouTube, both of which initially rejected ads for the film's trailer before reversing, with Meta also blaming 'an error.' X, owned by Musk, has outright refused to carry any ads for the documentary. The film's international distributor Universal also wavered on its release plans before ultimately moving forward. 'Musk' opened in four theaters last weekend and is now expanding. It is set to stream on HBO—now part of Paramount/Skydance—next year. Notably, TikTok's U.S. operations are partly owned by Larry Ellison, a prominent Trump supporter, as is Musk. HBO is now led by Ellison's son David.