WORLDTECHTikTok suspends Musk documentary account ahead of wider release
TikTok has removed the social media account of Alex Gibney's four-hour Elon Musk documentary shortly before the film's wider release. The platform, operated by the Beijing-based Internet company ByteDance, had not immediately commented on the decision.
Account blocked before the film opens wider
The suspension targets the documentary's account on TikTok, a service of ByteDance, the Beijing-based Internet company whose products include the app. It lands just before the broader release of the Musk film, which, according to The Verge, has run into resistance from social media platforms.
Citing The Hollywood Reporter, the film's distributor, Bleecker Street, was told on Friday afternoon that a "permanent suspension" was on its way. The reporting does not give a reason for the move.
Both sides still silent
TikTok did not immediately answer a request for comment, and Bleecker Street has not yet replied to The Verge's request either. Neither party has so far explained the suspension, so its rationale remains unconfirmed.
Open questions
- What reason, if any, will TikTok give for suspending the account?
- Will the suspension be reversed or made permanent?