TikTok restricts 'Musk' documentary account ahead of opening weekend

Updated at 8 a.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 19 — TikTok has lifted the restriction on the movie's promotional account, citing an error.

Elon Musk doesn't own TikTok, but the short-form video app is evidently sensitive to criticism of the Tesla CEO.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that TikTok has "permanently suspended" the official promotional account for Musk, a new documentary that is critical of Musk's recent activities and is playing in nearly 500 theaters across the United States. The reason given was "political content" that violates TikTok's policies, but THR's report didn't include any specifics as to what, exactly, the account was doing to warrant the ban.

A U.S. TikTok spokesperson told Mashable that the account was not suspended but was temporarily restricted from purchasing ads in error. The account can now purchase ads that adhere to the company's policy on political advertising.

Bleecker Street, the film's distributor, appealed the move, but the restriction remained in effect during a weekend when audiences were more likely to see the movie. That likely will not help Bleecker's attempts to market the movie; THR reported that the plan was to spend ad dollars to boost TikTok posts about the movie before the restriction was enacted.

As THR noted, Musk has no financial (or otherwise) affiliation with TikTok, but the app is partially owned by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. The documentary does apparently feature a scene in which Ellison offers to help Musk pay for his acquisition of Twitter via text message.

In Mashable's review of Musk, Senior Tech Reporter Matt Binder called the documentary "scathing," but also noted its fairness, stating that "it features Musk, via his own actions and words, punching himself in the face over and over again."

UPDATE: Oct. 19, 2026, 11:30 a.m. EDT This article has been updated to clarify the restrictions placed on the 'Musk' documentary's promotional account.