TikTok Permanently Bans Account of Elon Musk Documentary
TikTok has banned the official social media account of Alex Gibney's documentary about Elon Musk just before the film's wider release. The platform had already refused to run ads for the film.
The video platform TikTok has permanently banned the official account of a documentary about entrepreneur Elon Musk. The film was directed by Alex Gibney, and the ban came shortly before its wider release.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film's distributor, Bleecker Street, was told on Friday afternoon that a "permanent suspension" was imminent. Neither Bleecker Street nor TikTok has yet responded to requests for comment from the technology outlet The Verge.
Link to the film's content
TikTok has no official affiliation with Musk, but part owner Larry Ellison appears in the film through a text message in which he offers to help Musk finance his purchase of Twitter.
Earlier dispute over ads
Last month, YouTube, Meta, X and TikTok faced criticism for rejecting advertisements for the film. YouTube and Google quickly reversed their decision, calling it an "error." TikTok and X did not change their position, and neither platform has allowed paid ads for the film.
The account ban is a serious escalation. It also carries an ironic twist: shortly before the account was removed, it had posted that people should see the movie "before it gets shut down."
