X CEO Linda Yaccarino has tried to explain the social media service's positioning as a free speech platform after Elon Musk's "Go f*** yourself" outburst against boycotting advertisers at the DealBook summit.
What Happened: X is in trouble, and this time, Musk is making life difficult for Yaccarino, who tried to stress the social media platform's free speech ethos.
"Today @elonmusk gave a wide-ranging and candid interview at @dealbook 2023. He also offered an apology, an explanation and an explicit point of view about our position," Yaccarino said in a post on X.
She seems to agree with Musk in spirit when it comes to the advertiser boycott, saying that the "information independence" on X is "uncomfortable for some people." She did not elaborate on who these people are, though.
"Here's my perspective when it comes to advertising: X is standing at a unique and amazing intersection of Free Speech and Main Street," she said, continuing to pitch X as a free speech platform.
Yaccarino's statement comes in the backdrop of explosive statements during the New York Times' DealBook summit. While he apologized for his anti-Semitic comments, which endorsed a conspiracy theory, Musk was unrelenting on advertisers.
"I don't want them to advertise. If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money, go f**k yourself. Go. F**k. Yourself," he said.
He specifically mentioned Disney CEO Bob Iger, saying, "Hey Bob, if you're in the audience, that's how I feel." Iger spoke at the summit earlier.
Why It Matters: X has been at the center of an advertiser boycott that includes big names like Apple Inc. AAPL, Walt Disney Co. DIS, IBM IBM, Warner Bros. Discovery WBD, and now Washington Post, among others which have stopped advertising on X.
Amongst all these, Apple's boycott should sting Musk the most, given that he has long been a fan of the company and its CEO Tim Cook defended the company's decision to continue advertising on X amidst the Anti-Defamation League controversy.
Despite standing to lose over $75 million in advertising revenue, Musk has remained steadfast against boycotting advertisers. He clapped back at brands and media organizations over reports of Meta Platforms Inc.'s META Instagram showing sexualized content of minors.
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