Apple Resumes Advertising on X

Meta: Why Threads Keep Getting Flagged

• Multiple comments note that earlier HN threads about Apple returning to X were flagged/removed, leading to frustration and suspicion that “people don’t want this news to spread.”
• Others respond that this is consistent with HN guidelines: political or flamey topics tend to be flagged because they produce low-substance, high-indignation arguments.
• Some agree this is appropriate curation; others argue this topic isn’t “politics” per se and should be allowed as tech/business news.
• There is acknowledgement that political topics online often degrade quickly, even on HN, making moderation risk-averse.

Is This Political or Just Business?

• One camp: big companies have no real ideology beyond profit; Apple paused ads when it was politically risky and resumed when it became either profitable or politically safer under the new administration.
• Another camp: Apple’s move is explicitly political, aligning with a platform whose owner now holds political power; some suggest it’s as much like lobbying as advertising.
• Some argue that not advertising on X could now be politically dangerous, given perceived government alignment with Musk.
• Several comments stress that customers’ political views shape corporate behavior: firms must at least appear to match their most valuable customers’ ideology.

Free Speech, “Cancel Culture,” and Corporate Choices

• Debates over whether leaving/returning to X is an exercise of free association or “cancel culture.”
• One proposal suggests laws against ending business relationships for political reasons; others argue this would be unconstitutional compelled speech and hard to define (“who decides what reasons are legitimate?”).
• Broader clash between “anything goes, just close the browser if you don’t like it” and the view that platforms and hosts shouldn’t tolerate bigotry or hate.

Views on X as a Platform and Business

• Some defend X as having valuable technical/ML discussion and not remotely comparable to truly extremist sites; critics are framed as not using it or misdirecting other frustrations.
• Others point to Musk’s controversial and antisemitic posts as evidence that association with X is inherently political and reputationally risky.
• On valuation: one side cites revenue/EBITDA figures and investor comments claiming X may have held or even increased value; another points to large markdowns (e.g., Fidelity) and conflicting revenue numbers as evidence that its success is unclear.