Since Elon Musk took the reins of Twitter (now X), the platform has gone through a radical transformation. Policy changes. Staff shakeups. Content moderation cutbacks. And a growing perception that X has become a home for extremism, hate speech, and misinformation.
It’s not just speculation. A study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that hate speech surged dramatically following Musk's takeover. Major advertisers have already pulled out. Civil rights groups have sounded the alarm.
And yet, many brands still find themselves asking: Should we stay on X? Should we pull our ads? Can we trust creators who are still active there?
These aren’t simple questions.
But there are smarter ways to answer them.
What Brand Managers Are Actually Up Against
If you're managing brand safety, this moment isn’t just about Elon Musk or his politics. It’s about exposure.
Exposure to:
- Unvetted creator content that may include or amplify hate
- Guilt by association with controversial voices
- Regulatory backlash for failing to monitor where your content appears
- Internal misalignment between marketing speed and legal caution
And in a fragmented content landscape, visibility is everything.
What You Should Be Asking
Before you make decisions based on headlines or gut feelings, ask:
- Are the creators we partner with active on X?
- What content are they liking, sharing, or amplifying there?
- Have they engaged with harmful content on or off the platform?
- Are we monitoring for hate, misinformation, or politically polarizing speech?
- Do we have a protocol for pulling content or reassigning budget if risk crosses a threshold?
These aren’t hypotheticals. These are survival questions.
How VwD Gives You Real-Time Visibility
Brand safety doesn’t mean avoiding risk. It means managing it intelligently.
VwD helps you:
- Monitor creator content across X and other platforms for hate, toxicity, and dangerous associations
- Use contextual AI to differentiate between legitimate speech and harmful rhetoric
- Assign Sensitivity Scorecards that reflect your brand’s unique risk tolerance
- Audit creator networks to understand who they’re interacting with, endorsing, or aligning with
- Set alerts for any red flags or sudden changes in behavior
This isn’t censorship. It’s strategy.
The Takeaway: Don’t Panic. Prepare.
There are two types of brands on X right now:
- Those guessing
- And those monitoring
The ones who guess will eventually get burned. The ones who monitor will know when to act—and when to walk away.
Because brand safety isn’t about fear. It’s about clarity.
Talk to Us to learn how VwD gives you the tools to navigate this new era of platform uncertainty with confidence.
