Australian Government Spent AU$2.7M On X Ads In First Year Of Musk's Takeover: Report

The Australian government spent nearly AU$3 million of taxpayer money on advertising on social media platform X in the first year of Elon Musk taking control of the company in October 2022, according to newly released data.

Despite initial concerns about the potential damage to brand reputation under Musk's leadership, which led to a temporary pause in ad campaigns, the government resumed its spending, according to an exclusive report by The Guardian.

The data shows that between November 2022 and 2023, the government allocated AU$2.7 million on X ads for various campaigns, including health advisories, federal budget initiatives, the Voice referendum, and COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

For the 2022-2023 period, the total digital advertising spend by the Australian government amounted to AU$56.3 million.

While the exact total ad spend for 2023-2024 has not been disclosed, sources suggest it is in line with the previous year's amount.

The spending contrasts with the government's decision in September 2022 to temporarily suspend X from advertising following reports of the ads appearing next to inappropriate content. A report from the Australian National Audit Office revealed this pause in the ad spend.

A spokesperson for the finance department explained that the suspension was to assess the platform's brand safety measures, but advertising on X was reinstated soon.

The data from the following year, which covers the period when Musk openly aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump, is being withheld until January 2026.

The finance department has justified the delay, stating that releasing this data prematurely would weaken the government's position in negotiations with other media outlets on advertising.

Musk's controversial influence

The continued ad spending on a platform owned by Musk comes at a time of heightened political tensions. Musk has been openly critical of the Albanese government, labeling it "fascist" over its now-abandoned misinformation legislation.

Additionally, Musk has been involved in multiple legal battles with the Australian online safety regulator over content moderation on X, including one that was heard in an administrative review tribunal last week.

Musk was one of Trump's largest donors in the 2024 U.S. presidential election and has since been tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, which focused on reducing government spending.