A four-hour documentary about Elon Musk continues to meet resistance from social media platforms, with TikTok banning the film’s advertising account. TikTok rejected ads promoting the documentary, mirroring similar actions by Meta and YouTube, though those platforms eventually allowed the ads. This comes amidst Musk's ownership of X, which has already refused to carry ads for the film.
In Brief Posted: 1:55 PM PDT · October 17, 2026 Image Credits: Tierney L. Cross/The Washington Post/Bloomberg / Getty Images Anthony Ha TikTok permanently bans ‘Musk’ documentary advertising account A four-hour documentary about Elon Musk continues to meet resistance from social media platforms, with TikTok banning the film’s advertising account. According to a story in The Hollywood Reporter , the documentary’s distributor Bleecker Street was recently notified by TikTok that the account had received a “permanent suspension” due to its political content. TechCrunch has reached out to TikTok for comment. Ads promoting the trailer for “Musk” — directed by Oscar-winner filmmaker Alex Gibney — were initially rejected by Meta and YouTube as well , though those platforms eventually allowed the ad, with Meta blaming the rejection on “an error.” Gibney recently confirmed that the film’s international distributor Universal had wavered in its plans to release “Musk,” though it’s now moving forward. X, which Musk owns, has refused to carry ads for “Musk.” TikTok’s U.S. operations are partly owned by Larry Ellison — who, like Musk, has been a notable supporter of President Donald Trump. “Musk” opened in just four theaters last weekend and is now rolling out more broadly. Next year, it’s supposed to stream on HBO — now part of Paramount/Skydance and led by Ellison’s son David . Topics Alex Gibney , Elon Musk , Government & Policy , Media & Entertainment , Social , TikTok November 4 Boston Get 50% off a second pass Cover more ground at TechCrunch’s ultimate founder bootcamp of the year by bringing your co-founder or partner. Save 50% off a second pass. Meet scaling and investment leaders, ask questions, find solutions, and more. Last day to save Oct. 16 Register Now Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news TechCrunch Daily News Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage. TechCrunch Mobility TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight. Startups Weekly Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly. StrictlyVC Provides movers and shakers with the info they need to start their day. No newsletters selected. Subscribe By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . Related AI Anthropic says its workforce has become less junior and is spending more time in meetings Anthony Ha 35 minutes ago AI Replit makes OpenAI its default over Anthropic, CEO says Kirsten Korosec Lucas Ropek Rebecca Bellan 2 hours ago Gadgets Ember’s new temperature-controlled mug makes my nightly tea ritual even better Lauren Forristal 5 hours ago Latest in Media & Entertainment In Brief TikTok permanently bans ‘Musk’ documentary advertising account Anthony Ha 10 seconds ago Media & Entertainment In ‘You Can See Everything,’ Elizabeth Holmes meets her equal in comedian Nathan Fielder Amanda Silberling 1 day ago Media & Entertainment Mark Wahlberg on using AI in film ‘the right way’ and being open to an AI clone carrying on his legacy Aisha Malik 1 day ago