Pfizer Among Latest Companies to Pause Ad Buys on Twitter Following Elon Musk’s Purchase of Company: Report

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer is among the latest companies to pause ad buys on Twitter following Elon Musk’s purchase of the company, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Other companies to reportedly temporarily halt ads include General Mills, Oreo maker Mondelez International Inc., and Volkswagen AG’s Audi.

The WSJ noted that some advertisers are concerned that content moderation could be scaled back under Musk’s leadership, which they worry would lead to an increase in “objectionable content on the platform.”

Others are concerned about the “uncertainty” at the company as top executives exit and Musk considers a raft of changes.

It appears that Musk has one backup plan in the form of charging a fee of $8 per month for verification on the platform.

A General Mills spokeswoman, Kelsey Roemhildt, said that “As always, we will continue to monitor this new direction and evaluate our marketing spend.”

One Twitter user responded to the news by declaring, “Thanks @elonmusk you are saving lives already.”

Thanks @elonmusk you are saving lives already.

— SatMan (@21miIIion) November 3, 2022

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) recently accused Pfizer and U.S. officials of rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine without testing whether it would curb transmission of the coronavirus.

As we previously reported, General Motors suspended its advertising from the platform on Friday. In an emailed statement, GM stated, “We are engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership.”

“As is normal course of business with a significant change in a media platform, we have temporarily paused our paid advertising. Our customer care interactions on Twitter will continue,” the company added.

GM Throws Temper Tantrum, Temporarily Pulls Ads from Twitter as Punishment for Musk Supporting Free Speech