Elon Musk’s change of direction: X will double investment in “brand safety”
It’s no secret that advertisers have been fleeing X (before Twitter) in droves over the past two years. due to the lax moderation policy that Elon Musk has imposed on the social network (and which ultimately puts the sacrosanct “brand safety” in severe jeopardy).
In addition, the few advertisers that X has managed to keep on his side since the South African businessman became the new owner of the social network in October 2022 could very soon also take to the streets. According to a recent study published by Kantar, 26% of advertisers still active on X plan to reduce their investment in this channel in 2025 (or alternatively, completely cancel your advertising actions on this platform).
In view of the discouraging conclusions put on the table by this report, Elon Musk apparently wants to take measures to prevent more advertisers from fleeing to X. And the owner of the microblogging network would intend to increase investment in “brand safety” to please advertisers and avoid further stampedes by the brands.
Elon Musk’s decision comes two years after massive cuts to X’s brand safety and content moderation teams. The social network specifically wants to revamp its content moderation team by establishing a new center named the “Trust and Safety Center of Excellence” in Austin, Texas.
X’s new security center in Austin, Texas
X thus seeks to create an environment where brands do not have to worry about their ads making their way through “fake news”, hate speech and crazy conspiracy theories.
According to TechCrunch y Mashable, X has posted around twenty job offers directly related to security and cybersecurity in different locations in the United StatesIn these offers, X seeks to fill vacancies such as strategic response director, security engineers and intelligence threat specialists.
The recruitment of security-related personnel contrasts sharply with the strategy that X has followed to date under the government of Elon Musk.In January, for example, a report revealed that the South African businessman had fired approximately 80% of X’s security experts shortly before taking over the reins of the social network.
X’s decision to reinvest in content moderation could be a response to the harsh criticism Musk has faced over the way he handles security, which is clearly lacking, on the social network. The billionaire has always proclaimed from the rooftops that X advocates freedom of expression, even if this means weaker moderation of the often toxic content disseminated on this platform.
X’s new Austin hub will focus on different aspects of content moderationincluding combating child abuse, managing user complaints and enforcing the rules applicable to the platform.
