TikTok has shut down the promotional account for Alex Gibney’s upcoming documentary about Elon Musk. The move comes just ahead of the film's wider theatrical release.
A “Permanent Suspension”
According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter, the film’s distributor, Bleecker Street, was informed Friday afternoon that a “permanent suspension” of the account was imminent. TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Bleecker Street has yet to provide a statement to The Verge.
While TikTok maintains no official affiliation with Elon Musk, the platform's part-owner, Larry Ellison, appears in the documentary via a text message offering to help Musk fund his acquisition of Twitter (now X).
Ad Rejections and Escalation
Last month, YouTube, Meta, X, and TikTok all faced backlash for rejecting advertisements for the documentary. While YouTube and Google quickly reversed their decisions, labeling them an “error,” TikTok and X have refused to change their stance, continuing to block paid advertisements for the film.
Banning the documentary’s account entirely marks a significant escalation. The removal is noted for its irony; shortly before the account was taken down, it posted a message urging people to see the movie “before it gets shut down.”
