Advertisers Fleeing X in Record Numbers Over Brand Safety Concerns, Survey Says
A new report reveals that a record number of companies plan to cut their advertising spending on X, formerly known as Twitter, next year due to concerns about extreme content on the platform, CNN reports.
The global survey, conducted by market research firm Kantar, found that a net 26% of marketers plan to decrease their ad spend on X in 2025, the highest recorded pullback from any major global advertising platform.
The report, released Thursday, shows a major erosion of trust in X among advertisers. Only 4% of marketers believe X ads offer “brand safety” – a guarantee that their ads won’t appear alongside harmful or offensive content. This stands in stark contrast to the 39% of marketers who perceive Google ads as offering brand safety.
“Advertisers have been moving their marketing spend away from X for several years,” said Gonca Bubani, Kantar’s global thought leadership director for media. “A turnaround currently seems unlikely. X has changed so much in recent years and can be unpredictable from one day to the next – it’s difficult to feel confident about your brand safety in that environment.”
The findings come despite Elon Musk’s charm offensive at the Cannes Lions advertising festival in June, where he attempted to appease advertisers following his controversial “go fk yourself” comment the previous year.
Musk’s efforts to woo advertisers appear to have been short-lived. Last month, he filed a lawsuit against an influential ad industry body, claiming they conspired to “boycott” X.
Big brands have been retreating from the platform since Musk’s $44 billion takeover in 2022, citing concerns over content moderation and the platform’s direction.
Musk’s own comments on X have also spooked advertisers. In November, several major brands, including IBM, Disney, and Paramount, halted ad spending over concerns about antisemitism and hate speech, particularly after Musk endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
The Kantar report, based on interviews with over 1,000 senior marketers and 18,000 consumers across 20+ countries, also found that X ranks outside the top 10 brands for trust and perceived advertising innovation.
YouTube remains the most popular ad platform among marketers, while Amazon and TikTok share the top spot among consumers.
Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has criticized Musk’s “far-right anything goes” agenda, escalating a months-long feud over free speech and misinformation. Brazil blocked X over the weekend following a Supreme Court order after Musk refused to appoint a new legal representative in the country.
