On Friday afternoon, TikTok told the distributor Bleecker Street that its ad account for Musk had a "permanent suspension." Musk is documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney's four-hour film about Elon Musk. TikTok said the ads broke its political-content rules but didn't say which ones. Outlets reported the ban Saturday, the same weekend the film expanded to more than 470 screens. Bleecker Street can no longer pay to promote anything on TikTok, and outlets disagree on whether the film's unpaid page is still up. The company is appealing, and TikTok hasn't commented. By late September, YouTube, Meta, TikTok and X had all refused the film's paid ads. YouTube and Meta later reversed course.

TikTok Is Blocking a Film About Musk at the Worst Possible Time (Alex Gibney, Bleecker Street, Gizmodo)

The film's side says TikTok is blocking its ads right when the film needs them most, and it points to a Musk ally's stake in TikTok.

The ban came on the film's biggest weekend. A Bleecker Street spokesperson said the company was disappointed in the timing. TikTok acted as the film went from four theaters to more than 470.

A Musk ally's company owns part of TikTok. Oracle owns about 15% of TikTok's US business. Its co-founder, Larry Ellison, largely controls the company. Ellison is friendly with Musk. The film even includes a text from Ellison offering to help fund Musk's Twitter purchase. Before TikTok acted, Gibney told the Associated Press he worried about HBO. Ellison's son David now runs HBO's parent company, and HBO financed the film. Gibney said Musk could call "Larry or David and say, you know, don't put this doc on." He called today's politics "literally pay to play."

Movies don't fit TikTok's definition of a political account. Gizmodo writer Mike Pearl notes that TikTok defines political accounts as ones run by governments, politicians and parties. He says that definition doesn't seem to cover art. TikTok's harassment policy also says it allows critical commentary about political figures.

But the Ads Were Political, and TikTok Bans Political Ads (TikTok)

TikTok told the distributor the account kept breaking its political-content rules, and its written policy bans political ads outright.

Political ads aren't allowed on TikTok, period. Its ad policy says, "we do not allow paid political advertising." Ads can't promote or oppose sitting officials, parties or elections. The policy has no general exception for films.

Some of these ads were openly political. One blocked ad was an intermission message. It suggested viewers delete their X accounts. It also suggested that anyone sitting too far right switch seats. The film covers Musk's time in the Trump administration, including his cuts to federal jobs and foreign aid.

The account kept breaking the rules. The Hollywood Reporter says TikTok cited a repeated pattern of political content. TikTok's notice pointed to the "level of severity" of the violations and said "some violations trigger immediate suspension." TikTok had rejected the trailer ad again and again before that.

And the Film Is a Hit Piece Anyway (Elon Musk, X)

Musk says Gibney made a hit piece, and his own platform won't run the film's ads at all.

The film is a hit piece, Musk says. He called it that when it was announced three years ago. On X, he's called Gibney an "idiot" and a "tinfoil hat crackpot" with "zero credibility." He has also said Gibney "assembled a hit list of people who either have an ax to grind or don't even know me."

His own platform won't take the film's money. X, which Musk owns, has refused the film's ads. It reportedly won't take ads for Bleecker Street's other films either. X's leadership has publicly called the documentary "dogs–t." Musk's camp has also threatened to sue.

Where This Lands

Gibney and Bleecker Street say TikTok blocked the film's ads on its biggest weekend. They point to a Musk ally's stake in TikTok. TikTok's notice says the ads broke its political-content rules, and its written policy has no exception for films. Musk says the film is a hit piece, and his own platform won't run its ads at all. TikTok still hasn't said which posts broke which rule. Next, we're watching how TikTok answers Bleecker Street's appeal. HBO, which financed the film, is supposed to stream it next year.

Sources