The World Bank has halted all paid advertising on Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Investigation revealed that a World Bank-promoted advertisement appeared under a racist post from an account that regularly shares pro-Nazi and white nationalist content.
Verified X account with over 115,000 followers that had posted a racist image alongside a message praising Europe’s colonization of Africa. A World Bank ad was found in the comments section beneath this post.
In response, a World Bank spokesperson stated, “The World Bank Group had already reduced its paid marketing on X while working with the platform to implement the strongest safety protocols X offers for our content. This latest incident is entirely unacceptable, and we are immediately ceasing all paid marketing on X.”
Despite requests for comment, X has not responded regarding the World Bank’s decision to withdraw its advertising. The account in question has shared numerous antisemitic and racist posts, including one featuring a video of Adolf Hitler with the caption, “We defeated the wrong enemy.” This post has received over two million views on the platform, according to X’s metrics.
More than a dozen verified X accounts with significant followings frequently post white nationalist or pro-Nazi content, with promoted ads from various brands appearing in the comments sections of these posts.
X’s policy on hateful conduct states that users “may not attack other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.” The platform claims to prohibit content depicting the Holocaust or symbols associated with hate groups, such as the Nazi swastika.
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter in October 2022, the platform has seen significant changes, including the dismantling of its Trust and Safety advisory group and alterations to content moderation and hate speech policies.