Amazon increases ad spend on X after cutting back over content concerns

Amazon is reportedly increasing its advertising (ad) expenditure on X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), sources familiar with the matter said Andy Jassy, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Amazon, was involved in the decision to boost ad spending on X.

The move comes after Amazon reduced its advertising budget on the platform over a year ago due to concerns about hate speech and content moderation.

Some advertisers left X after Musk acquired the company in 2022, citing concerns about looser content moderation and management instability.

The publication added that in 2023, Apple, the US multinational tech company, pulled all its advertising from X but has recently explored the possibility of testing ads on the platform.

Musk acknowledged the report on Thursday, responding to a post about the article with: “Much appreciated”.

X has struggled with advertiser retention since Musk’s takeover, with monthly US advertising revenue declining by at least 55 percent year-over-year each month since October 2022.

The billionaire had previously warned that a prolonged advertiser boycott could push X toward bankruptcy.