'Prioritising free speech over profit on X': Elon Musk at Cannes

Elon Musk, the ever-outspoken owner of the rebranded social media platform "X" (formerly Twitter), used his platform at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to send a clear message to advertisers: free speech trumps profits.

Addressing concerns about brand safety, Musk declared, "Advertisers have a right to appear next to content that they find…compatible with their brands. That's totally fine." However, he drew a firm line in the sand, asserting, "What is not cool is insisting that there can be no content that they disagree with on the platform."

When pressed about advertisers potentially dictating editorial policy, Musk argued that "X" will not succumb to pressure to censor content that some may find disagreeable. He maintained that freedom of choice is paramount, allowing advertisers to decide where their ads appear while upholding the principle of free speech for all users. "We don't want to take money to censor," he stated emphatically. "I think that would be wrong."

This commitment to open dialogue, combined with advanced AI-powered content matching, aims to make "X" a more effective platform for advertisers. Musk's vision is to create an environment where ads are "essentially content," delivered to users who find them engaging and relevant to their interests.