In a surprising move right before the anticipated release of Alex Gibney’s documentary on Elon Musk, TikTok has decided to restrict the film’s social media account on its platform. The company did not provide an immediate comment regarding the situation. Reports indicate that the film’s distributor, Bleecker Street, was notified on Friday afternoon about the impending “permanent suspension” of the account. Bleecker Street has yet to issue a statement regarding this development.
Although TikTok is not officially connected to Musk, Larry Ellison, a part-owner of TikTok, has a cameo in the documentary where he offers assistance to Musk in financing his Twitter acquisition through a text message.
Recently, there was considerable criticism directed at YouTube, Meta, X, and TikTok for declining to run advertisements for the film. While YouTube and Google quickly reversed their decisions, labeling them as an “error,” TikTok and X have maintained their positions and have not permitted paid promotions for the documentary.
The suspension of the documentary’s account signifies a significant escalation in tensions, which is further highlighted by the irony of the account’s last post urging viewers to watch the film “before it gets shut down.”
