Media giant The Walt Disney Company DIS was among the companies that pulled advertising on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, over controversial comments made by platform owner Elon Musk.
Disney took things a step further by stopping posting from several of its accounts for 24 hours in protest. Some of those accounts are now posting again, but several remain quiet.
What Happened: Disney and several other companies pulled advertising on X in protests to comments made by Musk.
Musk later apologized for interacting with a controversial antisemitic post on the platform but also threw shade at companies like Disney that pulled advertising.
"I don't want them to advertise," Musk said, while speaking at the New York Times Deal Summit. "If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money, go f*** yourself. Go. F**k. Yourself. Is that clear?"
Musk went on to call out Disney CEO Bob Iger, who spoke earlier at the same event: "Hey Bob, if you're in the audience, that's how I feel."
As previously shared by Benzinga, in addition to pulling advertising, Disney stopped posting from many of its accounts on the social media platform, including the @disney and @espn accounts.
Other accounts such as @starwars, @pixar, and @marvelstudios also participated in the pause. However, accounts like ABC News and Disney+ seemed to continue posting without interruption and have been active since November.
As shared by Disney fan site Inside the Magic, the @DisneyParks account recently began posting again for the first time since Nov. 30, 2023. The account shared some updates about the Tiana's Bayou Adventure, which will open in the summer at Disney World in Florida and later in 2024 at Disneyland in California.
A quick scan of Disney accounts on X reveals that @disneyland and @WaltDisneyWorld have not posted since Nov. 16, 2023 and Nov. 17, 2023 respectively. The two accounts have 1.5 million and 3.7 million followers on X respectively.
Related Link: Elon Musk Criticizes ‘Real Stand Up Guy’ Bob Iger, Says Disney CEO Should Be ‘Fired Immediately’
Why It's Important: Disney and Musk have been feuding since November, with Musk saying that the media company should get rid of CEO Bob Iger.
Musk also assisted in a lawsuit from former Star Wars actress Gina Carano, who is suing Disney and Lucasfilm over wrongful termination.
While Disney won't likely be buying advertisements on X anytime soon, the fact that it also paused posting from many of its accounts could intensify the battle and serve as a sign that Disney won't be relying on Musk's platform.
Photo: Shutterstock
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