TikTok has banned the promotional account for Alex Gibney's forthcoming documentary about Elon Musk, The Verge reported on Saturday.
The shutdown removes the film's official promotional presence from one of the world's largest social platforms just as its marketing campaign would be expected to build. Gibney, an Oscar-winning documentarian, is known for critical examinations of powerful figures and institutions.
The ban lands with extra resonance because of TikTok's new ownership structure in the United States, which involves investors including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, a prominent Musk ally. The Verge framed the account's removal against that backdrop, though TikTok has not publicly detailed its reasoning.
The move adds to a running debate about how platforms police content about their owners' business partners and political allies. Musk himself settled lawsuits on Saturday over his $1 million voter giveaway from the 2024 election cycle, with plaintiffs agreeing to an undisclosed sum, The Verge also reported.
