Elon Musk Documentary Ads Rejected; US Backs Musk Against EU Fine

YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X have reportedly rejected paid advertisements for Alex Gibney's new four-hour documentary "Musk."

Bleecker Street, the film's independent distributor, stated that several platforms cited bans on political content as the reason for rejection, despite the ads promoting a movie trailer. Meta rejected an appeal, while TikTok and YouTube are still weighing decisions. X is reportedly refusing to communicate with Bleecker Street. The documentary, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, depicts Elon Musk as petty, narcissistic, megalomaniacal, cruel.

Musk called the film a hit piece and threatened legal action. Separately, the European Union's executive arm stated on Friday that it is prepared to defend a €120 million ($137 million) fine against X. This statement followed the US government's support for Elon Musk's legal effort to have the fine dismissed. The US Department of Justice filed an application to intervene in cases brought by Musk and X at the EU's General Court in Luxembourg.

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate stated that the European Commission inappropriately attempted to expand its regulatory authority to reach American companies. The EU fined X in December 2025 for breaching online transparency rules under the Digital Services Act, citing insufficient data access and deceptive design of its blue-tick system. US Vice President JD Vance and other senior administration figures have criticized the EU's fining of X.