Musk’s X using far-right hate to promote ads for Daily Telegraph and Saudi Arabia

15 comments

1. Adverts promoting *The Daily Telegraph,* Saudi Arabia and investment firm eToro have appeared alongside [far-right figures](https://inews.co.uk/news/new-far-right-rioters-havoc-uk-3209629?srsltid=AfmBOoo2G8I6S53_BSLKZYYsFUpJLzBZzDx51tLUhxE7Sql99OFq6x58?ico=in-line_link) on X helping to boost[ Elon Musk’s](https://inews.co.uk/topic/elon-musk?srsltid=AfmBOopVkCpAcOTluGK6cP-ntHVDEDxAIlz9gjTNtzUOloPzcM8MP7NS?ico=in-line_link) revenues, **i** can reveal.

   The tech billionaire is facing a backlash from several major brands after an **i** analysis revealed paid-for adverts for many high profile companies are appearing next to controversial posters.

   Promotional material for *The Telegraph* appear under tweets from Paul Golding, one of Britain’s most notorious fascists and co-leader of the far-right group Britain First. Golding, who has been jailed for a series of hate crimes against Muslims, was banned from Twitter in 2017 for posting anti-Muslim videos. He was allowed back on X by [Musk](https://inews.co.uk/opinion/for-elon-musk-it-has-all-been-leading-up-to-this-moment-3225510?ico=in-line_link) last year.

   Musk has reinstated several far-right figures onto X since he took over the platform in 2022 and **i’**s disclosure shows just how the world’s richest man is profiting from far-right hate. It will also raise renewed questions over regulation of social media in the wake of last week’s riots and Musk’s spat with [Prime Minister Keir Starmer.](https://inews.co.uk/topic/keir-starmer?srsltid=AfmBOoo_bU4Dd1n74gtG7qndKLUS-kxWBroQ4WkftHhKMCLatag70–j?ico=in-line_link)

2. I suspect the Telegraph don’t care which is why they’re still advertising on X.

3. A genuine question is at what point is freedom of speech to incitement of violence. The far right are not a peaceful group who calmly discuss issues. I’m not saying Musk has reached that point but we can’t ignore he is getting there. And when he does reach there what should the government do?

4. Journalists seem to want to have the moral high ground and take potshots at X while still also using it. The author of this article last tweeted something 40 minutes ago. If she’s so concerned with the platform she should just stop using it, like most people, and not write articles complaining about something she’s actively part of.

5. I feel like part of the problem is that wealth inequality has grown so enormously that people like Musk are so wealthy now that they feel untouchable. Consequently they feel they can do and say what they want.

6. Saudi Arabia? The country we’re very closely allied with, which celebrities take loads of money from, which our political class are very cosy with? That we sell an absolute load of military hardware to? That we buy loads of oil from? That we’re overall, generally, very friendly and on very good terms with?

   That Saudi Arabia?

   Well that’s just unacceptable isn’t it. I was a big fan of Musk, but now that I know his platform is running ads from our very good friend and ally that have many billions invested in our country I’m going to have to rethink it!

7. The same Saudi Arabia who also have stakes in Meta and Alphabet?

8. We’re reaching the point where companies no longer care about their ads being shown next to far right stuff. I don’t think this article will change anything.

   There was a Matt Levine article a few days ago about how ESG now contributes negative value to the market cap of a company. Back in 2021 doing ESG meant that your valuations went higher so companies were spinning off their coal divisions etc., now it’s the opposite where being seen as ESG leads to the market valuing you less so companies are deliberately expanding their coal operations so they don’t get the ESG taint on them. I expect something similar to eventually happen for these sorts of ads where they become completely normalized and companies that explicitly take a stand that they don’t want their ads appearing next to certain things take a financial hit.

9. What’s with all the pro Musk and pro Saudi fanboys in this thread.

10. The term “far-right” has been so misused in this country, especially recently it’s got little meaning when people use it.

11. Saudi Arabia? So what?

    What is she expecting? Everyone to Boycott the platform because of Saudi Money? What else?

    Boycott Chelsea Football Club

    And Newcastle United Football club

    Actually boycott the entire Premier League for allowing their money too.

    And Amazon

    And Uber

    And Heathrow Airport

    And Starbucks

    And EA games & Take Two interactive

    And also boycott Labour until we give back over 20-30 billion investments in the last 5-10 years or whatever.

    Or let’s boycott labour because Starmer was over there earlier this year and they’re working together.

    He even thanked him for his stability and leadership.

12. I don’t remember anyone calling for social media censorship following October 7 and the weekly hate marches

13. This is going to be very unpopular, but I like Elon. whenever I hear people hate on him I just see a sad jealous person who has nothing to be proud of in their own life so they need to go and put down others to feel better about themselves.

    I like Elon because I think nobody is perfect and everyone has issues / controversial opinions and such, but at least he is actually being productive with the time he has been given. He might be posting non stop on X and posting controversial items. But he also runs a bunch of massive companies, provides internet access to a growing number of disadvantaged people and constantly pushes for research into new renewable energy sources.

    Go ahead and downvote my comment, idgaf.

14. I know Elon isn’t popular around here but the article explains that X has simply reinstated “far right” figures without any specificity in terms of the case by case “hatred” being used to promote ads. There is also no mention of prominent left wing and far left wing figures that have remained on the platform from the Twitter days. It is interesting how legacy American and European media have treated Elon’s X in the last 24 hours following the “Trump conversation”.

    Free speech is paramount but with that comes unsavoury voices from all sides. Let market capitalism decide whether X prevails or not. Everyone has the right to voice their opinions but that does not mean that there is freedom from the consequences of having those opinions.

15. Says something about the Daily Telegraph too. These ads aren’t randomly placed, clicks and correlation drive it all