YouTube News

YouTube and Meta unblocked paid ads for Gibney's Musk trailer

TikTok and X still block Bleecker Street's campaign after platforms first refused the documentary spot.

By The Creator Wire Staff Published Sept. 26, 2026

YouTube and Meta reversed decisions that had blocked paid promotion for the trailer to Alex Gibney's documentary Musk.

A YouTube spokesperson said the trailer "was temporarily restricted by our system. Following review, the ad has been cleared to run." YouTube also posted that message on social media.

A Meta spokesperson said a decision to reject the ad "was an error and we're restoring the ads." Bleecker Street had lost an earlier appeal on Instagram and Facebook.

The trailer went out Thursday ahead of the film's Oct. 9 release. Gibney's movie takes a critical look at Elon Musk's control of Tesla, SpaceX, Starlink, and discourse on X, including his time in Washington with DOGE.

Platforms had cited political footage in the spot, including Musk at a 2024 Donald Trump campaign rally, as grounds to treat it like campaign advertising.

YouTube said the ad should appear soon. Bleecker Street had not been told of any change as of late Saturday morning while it kept appealing the original ruling.

TikTok and X still refuse to run the paid trailer.