A U.S. judge in Dallas has thrown out X Corp.’s antitrust lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers and several prominent companies, including Mars, CVS Health, and Colgate-Palmolive, alleging an unlawful boycott of Elon Musk’s social media venture. The judge ruled that X failed to demonstrate any harm under federal antitrust laws as claimed in the lawsuit filed back in 2024. The legal action contended that the advertisers, through the World Federation of Advertisers’ initiative called Global Alliance for Responsible Media, collectively held back “billions of dollars in advertising revenue” from X, formerly known as Twitter.
X and the World Federation of Advertisers have not yet commented on the dismissal. The lawsuit alleged that the advertisers conspired against the platform, breaching U.S. antitrust laws. However, the defendants, including CVS, denied any wrongdoing and argued that X failed to prove their coordinated actions, insisting they made independent business decisions on ad spending.
According to court filings, the companies opted for rival platforms due to concerns about X’s brand safety following Musk’s 2022 takeover, where he dismissed employees who maintained a user-friendly and family-oriented environment on the site. Judge Boyle stated in her ruling that the purported conspiracy did not constitute an antitrust violation, leading to the dismissal of the case.
Elon Musk’s involvement with Twitter has led to legal challenges, including a lawsuit against Media Matters for America over antisemitic content appearing alongside advertisements on the platform. Additionally, a recent federal jury found Musk guilty of defrauding Twitter shareholders by manipulating the company’s stock price to his advantage. Musk’s lawyer has requested a review of the verdict, citing concerns about jury conduct during the trial.
The ongoing legal battles surrounding Musk and Twitter/X extend to Europe, with investigations and allegations of possessing and disseminating inappropriate content on the platform. The controversies involving Musk, shareholder claims, and jury behavior continue to unfold, raising questions about the future implications for the tech billionaire and his social media endeavors.