TikTok permanently bans ‘Musk’ documentary advertising account

In Brief

A four-hour documentary about Elon Musk continues to meet resistance from social media platforms, with TikTok banning the film’s advertising account.

According to a story in The Hollywood Reporter, the documentary’s distributor Bleecker Street was recently notified by TikTok that the account had received a “permanent suspension” due to its political content. TechCrunch has reached out to TikTok for comment.

Ads promoting the trailer for “Musk” — directed by Oscar-winner filmmaker Alex Gibney — were  initially rejected by Meta and YouTube as well, though those platforms eventually allowed the ad, with Meta blaming the rejection on “an error.” Gibney recently confirmed that the film’s international distributor Universal had wavered in its plans to release “Musk,” though it’s now moving forward.

X, which Musk owns, has refused to carry ads for “Musk.” TikTok’s U.S. operations are partly owned by Larry Ellison — who, like Musk, has been a notable supporter of President Donald Trump.

“Musk” opened in just four theaters last weekend and is now rolling out more broadly. Next year, it’s supposed to stream on HBO — now part of Paramount/Skydance and led by Ellison’s son David.

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