Twitter claims ‘none of our policies have changed’ as advertisers continue to flee

The company is, once again, trying to reassure advertisers.K. Bell|11.30.22

The company is once again trying to assure advertisers and users about the direction of the platform after one month. In its first post since Musk bought the company, the company tried to explain what it meant.

Major advertisers have stopped spending on ads due to concerns over policy changes instituted by Musk Brand safety is only possible when human safety is the top priority, according to the post.

It is difficult to reconcile that claim with the company's recent confirmation that it will no longer enforce its COVID-19 misinformation rules. The approach to policy enforcement will rely on de-amplification of violative content, but not freedom of reach.

Musk has previously said that negative posts will only be visible to those looking for them. It is unclear if these changes have been implemented. The communications team is no longer with the social networking site.

According to the post, the Trust and Safety team continues to work to keep the platform safe from abusive behavior and hate speech. One day after the company's former head of Trust and Safety said the platform is less safe under Musk's leadership, a post was signed by "TheTwitter Team" According to an interview with Yoel, Musk ignored warnings from the Trust and Safety team before the disastrous launch of the paid verification service.

Musk needs to win back advertisers if he wants to keep them. According to a report in Media Matters, at least half of the company's top 100 advertisers have left. According to the newsletter Platformer, ad revenue is down in Europe and the Middle East as well as in the US. According to the Financial Times, Musk personally called the CEOs of major brands to berate them for cutting ad spending. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been called out by Musk for suspending its advertising on the platform.

Much like Musk's town hall with advertisers earlier this month, it's not clear if the latest statements will be enough to convince brands to spend again. In addition to Musk's chaotic policy changes, the mass layoffs and resignations have also gutted the teams that typically work closely with ad agencies and brands, which has complicated the already strained relationship.