Advertisers Plan Record Withdrawals From X Over Content Concerns

A record number of companies plan to cut their advertising spend on X (formerly Twitter) next year due to concerns that extreme content on the platform could damage their brands, delivering a further blow to Elon Musk’s social media company, CNN's Hannah Ziady reported.

Only 4% of marketers surveyed believe that ads on X provide “brand safety” — assurance that their ads won’t appear next to extreme content. I Photo: Elon Musk X

According to a global survey conducted by market research firm Kantar, a net 26% of marketers plan to decrease their ad spend on X in 2025, marking the largest recorded pullback from any major global ad platform.

Only 4% of marketers surveyed believe that ads on X provide “brand safety” — assurance that their ads won’t appear next to extreme content — compared to 39% for Google ads, according to Kantar’s report.

“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,” she added, citing how unpredictable the platform has become under Musk’s leadership.