Electric automaker Tesla has reportedly hidden the Disney+ app from some of its electric vehicle models amid Elon Musk’s online feud with Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger.
Tesla owners started to raise their concerns over the sudden removal of the shortcut to access the Disney+ app on various social media platforms, including X (former Twitter).
Tesla’s 2023 Holiday Update
Tesla started rolling out the highly awaited 2023 Holiday Update, which includes new features such as NHTSA-backed safeguards for Tesla’s Autopilot. However, some owners observed the sudden disappearance of the Disney+ app from the Tesla Theater.
It must be noted that not all Tesla owners reported missing the Disney+ app. It seems that owners who have not yet launched the app are affected by the changes.
It also appears that Tesla did not really eliminate the Disney+ app’s availability in some of its EVs, but is only hidden from the Theater. Owners discovered that they can easily retrieve the app by navigating to the Disney+ streaming site in the car’s browser.
Issues between the two CEOs
According to InsideEVs, the online dispute between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Disney CEO Bob Iger started when the latter’s company withdrew its advertising on X after the American billionaire agreed with antisemitic content.
CEO Musk admitted that his support for the antisemitic conspiracy theory posted by another X user was a mistake after a week, but he was already bashing Disney. The business tycoon’s controversial remarks prompted many major companies to halt their advertising on X, including Apple and Sony.
The Tesla boss even singled out Disney in a live interview at the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit, saying that it was being infected by the woke mind virus.” It further told advertisers to “Go fuck yourself” and said “Hey, Bob,” believing that Disney CEO Bob Iger was in the room.
Is it intentional?
It remains unclear if the Disney+ app’s disappearance is part of Tesla CEO Musk’s retaliation against Disney or if it is just a bug. However, Electrek suggests that it was intentional, citing an unnamed source who revealed that the electric automaker warned Disney that it would remove the app from its EVs last week.
Tesla apparently changed plans from including all owners to only those who have yet to launch the app ever since. If it is really an effect of CEO Musk’s online feud with the Disney boss, it will certainly have a negative impact on the EV giant’s brand image.
The potential link between the Musk-owned social media platform and the publicly traded automaker can also prompt shareholders to call for the board to evaluate the possibility of a conflict of interest.
