Shortly before the wider release of Alex Gibney’s documentary about Elon Musk, TikTok banned the film’s social media account from its platform. TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment, leaving the sudden decision without an official explanation.
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, the film’s distributor, Bleecker Street, was informed on Friday afternoon that a permanent suspension of the account was imminent. While TikTok has no official affiliation with Musk, one of the platform’s part owners, Larry Ellison, appears in the film via a text message offering to help Musk finance his purchase of Twitter.
The ban marks a significant escalation in an ongoing dispute over promoting the documentary. Last month, several major platforms—including YouTube, Meta, X, and TikTok—faced backlash after rejecting advertisements for the film. Google and YouTube quickly reversed course and labeled the move an "error," but TikTok and X refused to change their stance and continued to prohibit paid ads.
Removing the account entirely goes well beyond refusing paid commercials. In a striking moment of irony, shortly before the account was removed, it posted a message advising people to see the film "before it gets shut down."