On June 26, 2025, Elon Musk posted on X: “Starting tomorrow, the esthetic nightmare that is hashtags will be banned from ads on X.” Below that post, one user asked Musk’s AI chatbot Grok whether it recommends using hashtags on other posts. Grok responded that “while Elon Musk has criticized hashtags, data supports their effectiveness for regular posts” noting that they “boost visibility and engagement.”
The end to Musk’s esthetic nightmare may cause challenges for some advertisers who have relied on hashtags for the reasons Grok suggested. It may also cause challenges for influencer marketing, since many influencers disclose their connections to the brands they promote by using hashtags, such as #ad, #sponsored, or #BrandPartner.
To the extent an influencer post constitutes an ad, brands and influencers will need to figure out alternate ways to make those disclosures. Fortunately, what can be said with a # symbol can also be said without that symbol. And influencers can just use plain-English sentences, like: “I’m happy to be working with Brand.” Grok may have other ideas.
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