Alex Jones Banned From Twitter For Protesting Big Tech Censorship At Public Hearing On Censorship

Chris Menahan
InformationLiberation
Sep. 06, 2018

Alex Jones was permanently banned from Twitter on Thursday for so-called "abusive behavior" one day after confronting Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, CNN's Oliver Darcy and Senators Marco Rubio and Ron Wyden at a public hearing in Washington DC on Big Tech censorship.

Paul Joseph Watson was also hit with a 12 hour ban for tweeting out video of Alex Jones's confrontation with Oliver Darcy.

Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) of Infowars Hit With 12 Hour Twitter Ban as the Platform Vows to 'Evaluate' Accounts Associated With Infowars https://t.co/q7E6ggKKhu
— Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules) September 6, 2018

Not only was the @RealAlexJones account permabanned but also Alex Jones's news organization @Infowars.

Twitter released a vague statement in the interest of "transparency" where they justified the ban by claiming he violated their "abusive behavior policy." They refused to specify exactly what broke their vague terms.

Today, we permanently suspended @realalexjones and @infowars from Twitter and Periscope. We took this action based on new reports of Tweets and videos posted yesterday that violate our abusive behavior policy, in addition to the accounts’ past violations. https://t.co/gckzUAV8GL
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) September 6, 2018

We will continue to evaluate reports we receive regarding other accounts potentially associated with @realalexjones or @infowars and will take action if content that violates our rules is reported or if other accounts are utilized in an attempt to circumvent their ban.
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) September 6, 2018

It appears like Twitter may have tipped off the media before carrying out the banning. Nearly all fake news outlets ran with the "abusive behavior" angle despite being given zero specifics:

WAIT... Somebody pointed this out to me just now: reporters were briefed by Twitter about this beforehand. Buzzfeed tweeted about it at 4:45, AP at 4:46, then NYT, followed by WaPo and Politico. I didn't even think to check the other media accounts. pic.twitter.com/7DqIaEYjrf
— Pardes Seleh (@PardesSeleh) September 6, 2018

Call me crazy but I think reporters should probably take steps to *not* give the impression of untoward coordination with tech giants, which would involve not releasing stories timed to coincide *to the literal minute* with the tech giants' PR statements. Just a thought
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) September 7, 2018

Here's how the AP reported it:

Twitter permanently banned right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars show for abusive behavior, a day after CEO Jack Dorsey testified before Congress about alleged bias against conservatives on the platform.

The company said Jones won’t be able to create new accounts on Twitter or take over any existing ones. In a tweet, it said it would continue to monitor reports about other accounts potentially associated with Jones or Infowars, and will “take action” if it finds any attempts to circumvent the ban.

Twitter said Jones posted a video on Wednesday that violates the company’s policy against “abusive behavior.” That video showed Jones berating CNN journalist Oliver Darcy for some 10 minutes in between two congressional hearings on social media. Dorsey testified at both hearings, but did not appear to witness the confrontation.

Jones had about 900,000 followers on Twitter. Infowars had about 430,000. Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

New Jersey Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone praised Twitter’s action in a tweet. “Glad Twitter is taking steps to put an end to the abusive behavior from Alex Jones & Infowars,” the tweet stated. “Tweets designed to threaten, belittle, demean and silence individuals have no place on this platform.”

Alex Jones responded to the ban on Infowars:

As Styxhexenhammer noted, Alex Jones's crime was doing actual journalism.

It strongly appears he was banned for making fun of CNN's chief censorship advocate and hall monitor Oliver Dorsey:

Tucker Carlson indirectly criticized the banning on Twitter:

The assistant deputy undersecretary of god knows what decided he’s king, you’re a moron & we’re doing things his way. If you ask questions about it he calls you a racist & cancels your Twitter. He never stops lecturing you about how vital democracy is & how you’re a threat to it.
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) September 7, 2018

Conservatives were furious:

So, people posting videos of themselves harassing White House employees in their private lives are okay, but Alex Jones gets banned for telling off a CNN reporter at a public event about social media censorship. That's where we're at.
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) September 6, 2018

There's zero justification for the Alex Jones ban. It was done because he embarrassed parasitic politicians and the lying media on their home turf yesterday.

Pressure was put on Twitter to get him out of here ASAP.
— Ethan Ralph (@TheRalphRetort) September 6, 2018

Alex Jones has just been permanently banned from Twitter. For what? Telling CNN's Oliver Darcy he's a scumbag to his face on Periscope yesterday? For telling Marco Rubio to 'go back to the bathhouse'? Poor baby can't take a little insult? Free speech is dying online.
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) September 6, 2018

This was Alex Jones last Twitter post, Jack can't handle the bantz. pic.twitter.com/NburX57FoZ
— Otoadya Yamaguchi (@DrHirohito) September 6, 2018

So the biggest problem the American Right is facing strategically is the merger of Big Tech and Big Corporate Media to crush opposition.

And the Beltway Right is talking about... deregulation. Oh, and tax cuts! And invading Russia to honor John McCain or something.
— Virginia Dare (@vdare) September 6, 2018

So, mainstream reporters can shout questions at public figures after Congressional hearings, but Alex Jones gets permanently banned from Twitter for doing it? pic.twitter.com/vgH9zHRkXB
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) September 6, 2018

How can anyone, left or right, be comfortable with Twitter moderating what people do off their platform? Everything you do in the real world will now be judged by Silicon Valley as they decide whether to unperson you or not.

Who is OK with this brave new world?
— Allum Bokhari❌ (@LibertarianBlue) September 6, 2018

Though Jones was banned for confronting a CNN propagandist at a public hearing, CNN is allowed to dox old ladies and harass them at their homes for sharing some alleged Russian posts on Facebook:

So when will CNN be banned from Twitter for harassing an old lady at her home? https://t.co/gMzf1iOjXq
— Allum Bokhari❌ (@LibertarianBlue) September 6, 2018

Hey @Jack why didn't CNN get banned when they sent a reporter to that old lady's house and harassed her because she shared something on Facebook that was posted by the Russians? https://t.co/F9vLHxrJ4u
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) September 7, 2018

According to Infowars' Rob Dew, a source told him CNN's Oliver Darcy "was giving 'high fives and butt slaps' to employees" after hearing news of the ban.

My anonymous source inside @CNN says @oliverdarcy was giving “high fives and butt slaps” to employees at the hive of scum and villainy in DC.
More leaks to follow#opossum pic.twitter.com/PtaWQErPd3
— Rob Dew (@DewsNewz) September 7, 2018

Just a few months ago, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted out an article -- which he said was a "great read" -- that said the US is in a second "civil war" with no "bipartisan way forward" and "one side or the other must win."

Great read https://t.co/O2djSQf8Qv
— jack (@jack) April 6, 2018

Are Republicans ever going to realize these neo-Bolsheviks hate America, hate free speech, hate the free press and want every Trump supporter to be subject to show trials and thrown in gulags?

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