Quebec advertising firm Cossette, which schedules the majority of the federal government’s ads, has advised the federal government to suspend its ads on Twitter, CBC News reported Sunday.
• Also read: UN calls on Musk to uphold human rights on Twitter
• Also read: Twitter lays off “approx. 50%” of its employees
According to an internal company document obtained by the outlet, Cossette made the recommendation Friday due to “uncertainty about moderation” and “greater risk to brand image.”
The company believes the government should pause its advertising partnership to assess Twitter’s development. The federal government did not react immediately.
Ottawa’s ad spend on Twitter surpassed $3.2 million in 2020-21, an amount that nearly tripled from 2019-20. However, the year was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing avalanche of healthcare advertising, resulting in a doubling of the federal digital advertising budget during that period.
The American social network has been in turmoil since its takeover by eccentric billionaire Elon Musk, who vowed to make content moderation easier to promote freedom of expression.
The “Twit-in chief,” as Mr. Musk renamed himself after spending $44 billion to acquire Twitter, fired about 3,700 employees on Friday, who accounted for half of Twitter’s salaries. The addition of an $8 per month subscription option to get accounts certified is also planned in the coming weeks.
Concerned about the goals of Twitter’s new leader, several advertisers such as General Mills, General Motors or Mondelez International have decided to put their ties with the platform on hold over the past week.