Meta Reverses Course on Ads for Elon Musk Documentary After Initial Rejection
Meta says it will restore paid ads for Alex Gibney’s “Musk” after calling its initial rejection an error. TikTok and YouTube also rejected the trailer as “political content,” while the documentary holds a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Meta says it will run paid advertisements for the upcoming documentary “Musk” after initially refusing to do so, calling the rejection an error. A Meta spokesperson told TechCrunch on Saturday, September 27, 2026: “This was an error and the ads are being restored.”
The reversal follows a Hollywood Reporter story published Friday stating that Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and X had all refused to run ads promoting the trailer for Alex Gibney’s documentary about Elon Musk. Meta, TikTok, and YouTube reportedly rejected the ad on grounds of “political content.” X’s refusal was less surprising — Musk, who owns the platform, recently posted that “Dogshit is worth more respect than Gibney.”
The film’s U.S. distributor, Bleecker Street, told the Hollywood Reporter it is appealing the rejections from the other platforms. It remains unclear how a documentary trailer qualifies as campaign advertising under the platforms’ policies. Meta announced last year it would stop accepting political ads in the European Union, while TikTok says it does not run political ads at all.
Gibney’s “Musk” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2026 and has received nearly universal critical acclaim, currently holding a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The nearly four-hour film covers Musk’s tech career, his relationship with President Donald Trump, and his personal life, with interviews including ex-wife Justine Musk and Ashley St. Clair. It is scheduled for U.S. theatrical release on October 9, 2026.
The documentary has faced additional distribution uncertainty. The Hollywood Reporter said Universal Pictures was wavering on its commitment to distribute the film internationally, reportedly out of concern about angering the Trump administration. Universal subsequently confirmed it will release the film in theaters but said it is still determining its release strategy.
TechCrunch said it has reached out to YouTube, TikTok, X, and Bleecker Street for comment.