TikTok bans Musk film account

Bleecker Street, the distributor for Alex Gibney's documentary about Elon Musk, received notice that the film's TikTok account would be permanently suspended as the movie premiered on over 470 screens in North America. A Bleecker Street spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that the platform had contacted them before taking action and that they were currently appealing the decision.

This occurred during a critical period for the film's release, and even if Bleecker Street could get the page back, the documentary would have already missed out on significant exposure. The distributor had planned to use TikTok as part of its marketing strategy. Bleecker Street wasn't unfamiliar with social media controversy surrounding Musk – the film's makers had already faced pushback from Elon Musk himself, as well as Meta and YouTube, who had initially declined to publish Musk-related ads on their platforms.

The TikTok account, which boasted over 10,000 followers, had posted content that TikTok allegedly deemed "political," without specifying the exact nature of the violation. The account's posts included suggestions for audience activities during the film's breaks, such as deleting X accounts, debating a "fascist hellscape," and switching seats if too far to the right.

Another post urged viewers to watch the four-hour documentary in theaters before it supposedly got shut down, a humorous take on the situation. TikTok clarified that they had no official connection with Elon Musk, but noted that Larry Ellison, whose company holds a 15% stake in the joint venture operating TikTok in the U.S., is featured in the documentary discussing Musk's Twitter acquisition in 2022.

Interestingly, Musk will eventually reach audiences through Larry Ellison's son, as the film is slated to premiere on HBO in 2027, thanks to David Ellison, whose company, Skydance, owns Warner Bros. Discovery.