Elon Musk says "it's war" - sues brands who refuse to advertise on X

Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) has filed a lawsuit against a group of advertisers and major companies, accusing them of unlawfully agreeing to "boycott" the site.

Source: www.unsplash.com

The claim, filed in a Texas court, targets food giants Unilever and Mars, private healthcare company CVS Health, renewable energy firm Orsted, and the trade association World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). X alleges that this boycott has cost it "billions of dollars" in revenue.

I strongly encourage any company who has been systematically boycotted by advertisers to file a lawsuit.
There may also be criminal liability via the RICO Act.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2024

This comes as Musk faces increasing criticism for his management of the site, which has recently been blamed for failing to address misinformation spread during the riots in England.

Inquiry chair James Hodge is leading the public hearings. Source: YouTube.

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The lawsuit alleges that the advertisers, through a World Federation of Advertisers initiative called the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM), colluded in a manner that violated US antitrust laws.

X's chief executive office, Linda Yaccarino, stated: "People are hurt when the marketplace of ideas is constricted. No small group of people should monopolise what gets monetised."