The Government of Canada’s media and marketing agency has advised federal departments to temporarily pause advertising with Twitter in the wake of mass layoffs by new owner Elon Musk.
According to a report obtained by CBC, marketing agency Cossette instructed departments Friday to “pause activity immediately and monitor the situation over the weekend,” with “a heightened risk of brand safety” being included as one of the reasons for the change.
This news comes amid billionaire Musk’s recent acquisition of the social media giant. Since his purchase of Twitter, the company has experienced mass layoffs, with over 50 per cent of the staff being fired by their new owner. This includes some of its top executives like CEO Parag Agrawal and CFO Ned Segal.
Musk has been very vocal about the many changes he will implement to the site in the near future, such as fees for blue checks. Musk has spent the last several months criticizing the previous company’s executives for their handling of the social media giant, which plays a huge role in the dissemination of media and voices across the world. Following some back and forth offers, the sale was finalized in late October.
Cossette has cited Musk’s layoffs as the primary reason for their pause as they await his next steps moving forward. The company remains concerned about how these changes will affect brand safety.
Twitter Canada hasn’t been immune to the layoffs. The Canadian Press reported on Friday that Paul Burns, managing director of Twitter Canada, and Michele Austin, director of public policy for the U.S. and Canada, announced they were leaving the company.
