In a bid to restore trust and safety on the platform, Elon Musk’s X announced the appointment of two new employees to oversee safety measures. The social media app revealed that Kylie McRoberts, an existing X employee, would be promoted to head of safety, while Yale Cohen, an executive vice president at Publicis Media, would join as head of brand safety and advertiser solutions.
This move comes after a tumultuous 18 months for X’s advertising business, following Musk’s acquisition of the company formerly known as Twitter. Musk’s controversial statements and actions have led to an exodus of advertisers, with 75 out of the top 100 U.S. advertisers ceasing ad spending on the platform.
Moreover, concerns have been raised about the safety of users on X during Musk’s tenure, with accusations of inadequate content moderation and reinstatement of accounts belonging to extremists. The LGBTQ community and other vulnerable groups have reported unchecked harassment and bullying on the platform.
McRoberts is the first safety head appointed at X in 10 months, a period that has seen significant challenges for the company. Previous safety heads Ella Irwin and Yoel Roth left the company after clashes with Musk over policy decisions. Irwin departed after Musk overruled a decision to limit the spread of an anti-transgender video, citing a misalignment of core principles.
With the new appointments, X aims to enhance safety measures and rebuild relationships with advertisers and users. The global safety team, under McRoberts’ leadership, will focus on developing new safety features and maintaining safety policies. Cohen and his team will work towards ensuring a safe advertising experience for customers and brands on the platform.