• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, November 25, 2022

While its new owner Elon Musk has blamed pressure groups -- as well as advertisers themselves -- for discontinuing advertising on Twitter, half of American consumers believe it was the right thing to do since he acquired the company and began making it an even more toxic place for brand marketers and consumers alike.

According to a survey of 500 U.S. adults fielded by Pollfish  on Tuesday, 49% agree with the decisions of big brands to halt their Twitter ad spending, while 27% said they do not agree with their decision and 24% said they're not sure.

Following meetings with advertisers, a live public Twitter Q&A to address their concerns, and a reported meeting and deal with "activist" groups putting pressure on big brands to pause their ad buys on the platform, Musk has sent a series of mixed signals about how he actually plans to address their concerns.

After initially stating that he had addressed concerns by agreeing to form a "moderation council" that would help guide what content is permissible on the platform, Musk reportedly reneged, leaving the issue of content moderation -- as well as brand safety concerns -- in limbo.

According to one in a series of blistering tweets criticizing Musk, long-time marketing exec Lou Paskalis noted the move also contradicted what Musk promised some of Twitter's biggest advertisers during his meeting with the Twitter Influence Council on Nov. 4.