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☆ Hyundai is the latest brand to pause advertising on X due to antisemitism issues
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

On Wednesday, user Nancy Levine Stearns posted screenshots of a paid Hyundai ad above an antisemitic post from a verified “premium” account. X has suspended the antisemitic account that was adjacent to the ad, the head of business operations at X, Joe Benarroch, said in an email to CNN. Benarroch said Hyundai has been running a Corporate level account on X, focused on climate change ads aimed at reaching policy makers. He said the company’s ad agency did not activate Brand Safety settings, and the campaign took place without X’s direct sales team. X’s Brand Safety settings allow advertisers to make sure their ads aren’t running alongside posts that companies might find distasteful.

Persons: New York CNN —, Hitler, Nancy Levine Stearns, Stearns, ”, Elon Musk, Joe Benarroch, Benarroch, X’s, ” Benarroch, Whites, ” Musk, CNN’s Clare Duffy Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Hyundai, Twitter, Hyundai, CNN, ” Hyundai, NBC News, NBC Locations: New York, United States

☆ Weight-related bullying risk goes up the more time teens spend on social media, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The more time adolescents spend on screens and social media, the greater the likelihood that they will be bullied about their weight, according to the study. An X spokesperson said the social media platform’s policies had evolved since the data was first collected. “Weight stigma and bias are common on social media,” Ganson said in an email. “Social media use is ubiquitous among adolescents,” he added. Then, you can come up with solutions together on how to handle social media moving forward, Hanson said.

Persons: ”, Kyle Ganson, Twitch, Joe Benarroch, Elizabeth Busby, “, “ We’ll, ” Busby, Kendrin Sonneville, Sonneville, ” Ganson, Crispin la Valiente, Oona Hanson, ” Hanson, ’ ” Sonneville, “ Young, ‘, ’ ” Hanson, Ganson, Hanson, ” Sonneville Organizations: CNN, PLOS, Survey, Inwentash, Social, University of Toronto, Twitter, Advisory Council, Ambassadors, Guilds, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Getty Locations: Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States, U.S, Los Angeles

☆ X is fishing for more creators. Some won't bite.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

X has been trying to lure more creators to host on the platform through its ad-revenue program. But one survey showed that only 5% of creators want to use X as their main platform, per WSJ. AdvertisementMany large advertisers have pulled out of the X platform since Musk's takeover due to concerns about brand safety, lax content moderation, and even Musk's own posts. But as Musk acknowledged last year, the exodus could be an issue for content creators hoping to see a substantial payout from their posts. An official account for X's creator program also touted some of the platform's achievements since Musk's takeover.

Persons: —, Elon, Musk, X, Jasmine Enberg, Chris Reilly, Joe Benarroch, Benarroch, Samir Chaudry Organizations: Service, Street Journal, Intelligence, The

☆ Loss, pain, harm: Grieving parents set the tone at this week’s tech CEOs hearing. It could change things
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Wednesday’s online youth safety hearing with some of the world’s leading social media CEOs was unlike the many that came before it in recent years. During the hearing, Zuckerberg and Spiegel, along with the CEOs of TikTok, Discord and X, also faced calls to meet with the families affected by their platforms. And Wednesday night, after the event, some parents said the apologies did not go far enough. X CEO Linda Yaccarino thanked the “parents, families, and young people” who attended the hearing in a post on the platform. “We just saw yesterday the extent of the damage that this has done, these platforms have done,” he said.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, Zuckerberg, Spiegel, Bridget Norring, “, Joe Benarroch, Linda Yaccarino, ”, ” Clint Smith, ” Snap’s Spiegel, Charlie, Connecticut Democrat Sen, Richard Blumenthal, ” Minnesota Democrat Sen, Amy Klobuchar, they’d, New York Democrat Sen, Chuck Schumer, …, Schumer, ” Sam Chapman, Missouri Republican Sen, Josh Hawley, Dick Durbin, Hawley, we’re, –, Brian Fung, Morgan Rimmer Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, ”, Meta, Connecticut Democrat, ” Minnesota Democrat, New York Democrat, Missouri Republican, Democratic Locations: New York, Snapchat, Connecticut, ” Minnesota

LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk's social media platform X has restored searches for Taylor Swift after temporarily blocking users from seeing some results as pornographic deepfake images of the singer circulated online. Searches for the singer's name on the site Tuesday turned up a list of tweets as normal. Sexually explicit and abusive fake images of Swift began circulating widely last week on X, formerly known as Twitter, making her the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and anti-abuse groups have struggled to fix. Unlike more conventional doctored images that have troubled celebrities in the past, the Swift images appear to have been created using an artificial intelligence image-generator that can instantly create new images from a written prompt. After the images began spreading online, the singer’s devoted fanbase of “Swifties” quickly mobilized, launching a counteroffensive on X and a #ProtectTaylorSwift hashtag to flood it with more positive images of the pop star.

Persons: — Elon, Taylor Swift, Swift, Joe Benarroch, Taylor, —, Swifties ”

Elon Musk's social media platform X has blocked searches for Taylor Swift as pornographic deepfake images of the singer have circulated online. Sexually explicit and abusive fake images of Swift began circulating widely last week on X, making her the most famous victim of a scourge that tech platforms and anti-abuse groups have struggled to fix. The deepfake-detecting group Reality Defender said it tracked a deluge of nonconsensual pornographic material depicting Swift, particularly on X. Some images also made their way to Meta-owned Facebook and other social media platforms. In 2019, a report released by the AI firm DeepTrace Labs showed these images were overwhelmingly weaponized against women.

Persons: Elon, Taylor Swift, “ Taylor, ”, Swift, Joe Benarroch, Swifties ” Organizations: DeepTrace, Hollywood, South Locations: Meta

☆ Elon Musk's X blocks searches for Taylor Swift after explicit fake pictures go viral
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk's X is blocking searches for Taylor Swift. Explicit AI-generated pictures of the singer went viral on the platform last week. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementElon Musk 's X is blocking searches for Taylor Swift after explicit AI-generated pictures of the pop superstar went viral last week.

Persons: Elon Musk's, Taylor Swift, Satya Nadella, —, Elon Musk, Joe Benarroch, Swift, Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean Organizations: Microsoft, Service, Business, BBC News, Daily Mail, NBC Nightly

☆ Elon Musk plans to build a new content moderation center for X in Austin
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

X aims to hire 100 full-time workers for a new content moderation headquarters in Austin, the company's head of business operations, Joe Benarroch, told Bloomberg. Since he took control of X in October 2022, users have criticized Musk for his no-guardrails approach to the platform's trust and safety operations. After taking over, he quickly axed hundreds of content moderators and employees on the content moderation team — even as advertisers worried about a rise in hate speech on the platform. The plans for the new center also come after Musk tried to prevent a California law that regulates online content moderation. With the lack of content moderation and the rise of questionable posts, X has struggled to grow its advertising revenue.

Persons: —, Elon Musk, Joe Benarroch, Musk's Tesla, hasn't, Benarroch, Musk Organizations: Service, Business, Bloomberg, Austin Locations: Austin, California

☆ Walmart joins the growing list of major companies to suspend advertising on Elon Musk's X
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Walmart has joined the growing list of companies suspending their ads on X. It comes after Elon Musk appeared to endorse an antisemitic post. Musk said that it was "a mistake" and "one of the most foolish things" he'd done on the platform. AdvertisementWalmart announced on Friday that it will stop advertising on Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. AdvertisementMusk has since said the post was a "mistake" and "one of the most foolish things" he'd done on the platform.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, —, Joe Benarroch, — Elon, Lina Yaccarino, Ross Gerber, Tesla, he'd, I've Organizations: Walmart, Service, Elon, Bloomberg News, Disney, Apple, IBM, Warner Bros, CBS, The New York Times

New York CNN —Walmart confirmed on Friday that it is not advertising on X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk and formerly known as Twitter. “We aren’t advertising on X as we’ve found other platforms to better reach our customers,” a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. A number of prominent brands paused their advertising on X, last month following Musk’s public embrace of an antisemitic conspiracy theory favored by White supremacists. “I don’t want them to advertise,” Musk said at the New York Times DealBook Summit in New York. “If anyone is killing X, it’s Elon Musk – not advertisers,” she said.

Persons: Elon Musk, White supremacists, Joe Benarroch, Musk, dumbest, ” Musk, ”, didn’t, Craig Atkinson, CNN it’s, Big, they’re, Jasmine Enberg, it’s Elon Musk, “, Personally, ” Enberg, Benjamin Netanyahu, Isaac Herzog, Israel “ wasn’t, he’s, – CNN’s Jennifer Korn Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, Elon, CNN, Reuters, New York Times DealBook, Disney, Paramount, Comcast, Lionsgate, Warner Bros, Insider Intelligence, Intelligence, Israeli Locations: New York, Israel

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Walmart is the latest company to join the growing flock of major advertisers to pull spending from X, Elon Musk’s beleaguered social media company, amid concerns about hate speech — as well as reaching a sizeable audience on the platform. “We aren’t advertising on X as we’ve found some other platforms better reach our customers,” Walmart said in a statement. Musk said advertisers pulling out are engaging in “blackmail” and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away. Walmart is joining the Walt Disney Co., IBM, NBCUniversal and its parent company Comcast and other companies who have decided to stop spending on X. But X's relations with advertisers don't appear to be improving.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Musk, Andrew Ross Sorkin, ”, “, ” Musk, Linda Yaccarino, Joe Benarroch Organizations: FRANCISCO, Walmart, Walt Disney Co, IBM, NBCUniversal, Comcast

☆ Democrats accuse X of profiting from Hamas propaganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —A group of House Democrats has accused X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, of profiting from Hamas propaganda and misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war after reports by independent researchers found numerous accounts glorifying the US-sanctioned terror group. More than two dozen US lawmakers signed the letter dated Tuesday addressed to X owner Elon Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino. Musk sued Media Matters on Monday, accusing it of distorting the likelihood that ads may be shown against extremist material. But some legal critics have cast doubt on the complaint, calling it “weak” and “bogus” in the face of the First Amendment. The letter calls for Yaccarino and Musk to answer by December 1 to allegations that X has amplified terrorist propaganda in violation of its own policies.

Persons: X, Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, ”, Adam Schiff of California, Daniel Goldman, Jamie Raskin, Musk, Joe Benarroch, White Organizations: Washington CNN, House, Twitter, Institute for Strategic, Tech, Reps, Maryland, of Business, Media Matters, Media, Committee, US Marshals Service Locations: Israel, New York, Gaza

☆ It’s ‘pathological’ for brands to advertise on Elon Musk’s X, Yale professor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Brands are being “irresponsible” by continuing to advertise on Elon Musk’s X after the billionaire endorsed antisemitic views, according to Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld. It’s pathological,” Sonnenfeld, dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management, told CNN in a phone interview. Yaccarino under pressureThe advertiser backlash is piling even more financial pressure on X at a time when the social media platform has been struggling. “This is a perfect opportunity for the market to do what the market does best,” Minow said. Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, said brands don’t need to “completely agree” with a media property and its policies to advertise there.

Persons: Elon Musk’s, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, “, Sonnenfeld, Musk, ” Musk, ”, Joe Benarroch, “ Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Linda Yaccarino, “ Linda Yaccarino, ” Sonnenfeld, he’s, Yaccarino, Lou Paskalis, Nell Minow, ” Minow, Minow, Tim Calkins, Calkins, it’s, ” Calkins Organizations: CNN, Brands, Elon, Yale School of Management, Whites, Disney, Warner Bros . Discovery, Media, Twitter, Media Matters, Marketing, ValueEdge Advisors, Time Magazine, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management

More major advertisers have paused their spending on X, the social media service formerly known as Twitter, as the backlash continued over Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X. The spending freeze comes as X has fought to win back advertisers who were wary of spending on the platform after Mr. Musk took it over a year ago and said he would loosen content moderation rules. The organization followed accounts that posted the content, then refreshed the X timeline until ads appeared, X said in a blog post. Only one of the nine posts highlighted by Media Matters violated its content moderation rules, X added. “Musk admitted the ads at issue ran alongside the pro-Nazi content we identified.

Persons: X, Musk, ” Mr, Robert Bowers, Andrew Bates, Hitler, ” X, Joe Benarroch, ”, Angelo Carusone, “ Musk, ” Ryan Mac Organizations: Elon, Warner Bros, Sony, IBM, Apple, Lionsgate, Paramount Global, CBS, Twitter, White, Media Matters, Nazi Party, X Corp, Media, “, ” Media Locations: Israel, Pittsburgh

☆ Musk threatens 'thermonuclear lawsuit' against media watchdog, calls advertisers 'oppressors'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk lashed out at large advertisers and Media Matters, a media watchdog group, on Friday after several major brands decided to pause spending on X, the social media platform he owns and runs as CTO. Discovery , then decided to halt their ad spending, at least temporarily, on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. In late October, an X user complained that a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee was melted down in Charlottesville, Virgina. Last week, Musk agreed with a post falsely claiming that the Jewish people have been pushing "dialectical hatred" against white people. It is not clear whether or when X Corp. will actually file a suit against Media Matters, or in which jurisdiction.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, hawked, Joe Benarroch, Confederate, Robert E, Lee, Jonathan Greenblatt, Musk's, Angelo Carusone, Jonathan Vanian Organizations: Media, X Corp, America, Twitter, Apple, Comcast, NBC Universal, Disney, IBM, Lions, Paramount Global, Warner Bros, CNBC, Facebook, Defamation League, Media Matters, Washington , D.C Locations: Charlottesville, Virgina, Jewish, San Francisco, Washington ,

☆ Twitter's new CEO Linda Yaccarino logs first day in role
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed Twitter logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo(Refiles with no change in text)(Reuters) -Twitter’s new Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino has begun her role at the social media company, she tweeted late on Monday, about a month after Elon Musk named her as the new CEO. Yaccarino, the former advertising chief at NBCUniversal, is taking over Twitter at a time when the social media platform has been trying to reverse a plunge in ad revenue. Former NBCUniversal executive Joe Benarroch also joined Twitter on Monday. He oversaw communication strategy for the Comcast-owned company’s Advertising and Partnerships division, reporting to Yaccarino, before joining Twitter.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk, ”, Yaccarino, Joe Benarroch Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, Comcast, Advertising Locations: NBCUniversal

☆ Former NBCU exec Linda Yaccarino prepares to take over Twitter CEO role from Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Linda Yaccarino, a former NBCUniversal marketing executive, is preparing to take over the CEO role at Twitter from Elon Musk, weeks after the billionaire announced hiring her for the top spot at the social media company. The New York Times and The Information reported that Yaccarino is expected to officially start as Twitter CEO on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. Musk is likely betting on Yaccarino’s ad industry chops to restore Twitter’s flagging advertising business. Even without the CEO title, Musk will retain significant control over Twitter as its owner. Following the DeSantis event, Yaccarino tweeted: “We just heard a rare and unscripted conversation, on a range of important topics, with a Presidential candidate — all launched on Twitter.

Persons: Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk, Yaccarino, Twitter, Joe Benarroch, Benarroch, “ Let’s, ” Yaccarino, she’d, Musk, Twitter’s, Ella Irwin, “, ”, Yaccarino’s, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr, Ron DeSantis, — Organizations: New, New York CNN, Twitter, Elon, The New York Times, New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Democratic, Florida Locations: New York, York, “ Bay, San Francisco

☆ Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino due to start weeks earlier than expected, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk announced last month that Linda Yaccarino would take over as Twitter CEO. Another former NBCUniversal executive joined Twitter on Sunday. Linda Yaccarino, the incoming Twitter CEO, is due to start on Monday, according to The Information. Musk had said in December he would step down as Twitter CEO after users voted in a poll. The Information's report also came the same day that another former NBCUniversal executive joined Twitter.

Persons: Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino, she's, Musk, he'd, NBCUniversal, Shiba, Yaccarino, Joe Benarroch, Twitter Organizations: Twitter, Elon, Comcast Locations: NBCUniversal, Cuban

☆ Ex-NBCUniversal executive Joe Benarroch to join Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 4 (Reuters) - Former NBCUniversal executive Joe Benarroch will join Twitter on Monday, in a role focusing on business operations, he told Reuters. Benarroch said in an email that he was looking forward to working with the company's team to "build Twitter 2.0 together." From one bird to the next," tweeted incoming Twitter Chief Executive Linda Yaccarino, who was appointed in May. At Comcast Corp's (CMCSA.O) NBCUniversal, Benarroch oversaw communication strategy for its Advertising and Partnerships division, reporting to Yaccarino, who was advertising chief there before joining Twitter. Twitter's head of trust and safety, Ella Irwin, said on Thursday that she has resigned from the social media company.

Persons: Joe Benarroch, Benarroch, Linda Yaccarino, Twitter's, Ella Irwin, Brown, Dawn Chmielewski, Chandni Shah, Juby Babu, Will Dunham, Grant McCool Organizations: Twitter, Reuters, Comcast, Street Journal, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Bengaluru

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