While not a fan of good ole Alex Jones and his Infowars dung heap Twitter is out of line

[PuppyMonkeyBaby]

Twitter put Alex Jones in Twitter jail for a week since they didn't like his tweets.. Shit Ive seen and heard worse from others on Twitter and nothing was done.. I mean the governor of NY Cuomo damn near advocated for sedition riots etc from the Antifa crowd (who I may agree with somewhat politically but not their tactics).. Fact is its looking more and more like the far left are being hypocrites trying to silence anybody who doesn't agree with them. Not cool..

Again let me say Im not a fan of Jones and his antics but here we go again... Another fucking tech social media company squashing the 1st Amendment for somebody on the right.. Beginning to think Trump is at least partially right that you cant trust the media worth a shit and that they are trying to silence anybody who doesn't agree with them.. That's the great thing about this country we can agree to disagree and talk it out or flame each other or troll or whatever the fuck we feel like.. This censorship bullshit needs to stop now.. Just gives more ammo to the nutty far alt-right types that they don't need and makes them look like the sane bunch..

[Mintjewlips]

First they came for the ethno white nationalist..........

[PLOL]

I've deleted my twitter in solidarity with Alex Jones

[Dan Druff]

Twitter put Alex Jones in Twitter jail for a week since they didn't like his tweets.. Shit Ive seen and heard worse from others on Twitter and nothing was done.. I mean the governor of NY Cuomo damn near advocated for sedition riots etc from the Antifa crowd (who I may agree with somewhat politically but not their tactics).. Fact is its looking more and more like the far left are being hypocrites trying to silence anybody who doesn't agree with them. Not cool..

Again let me say Im not a fan of Jones and his antics but here we go again... Another fucking tech social media company squashing the 1st Amendment for somebody on the right.. Beginning to think Trump is at least partially right that you cant trust the media worth a shit and that they are trying to silence anybody who doesn't agree with them.. That's the great thing about this country we can agree to disagree and talk it out or flame each other or troll or whatever the fuck we feel like.. This censorship bullshit needs to stop now.. Just gives more ammo to the nutty far alt-right types that they don't need and makes them look like the sane bunch..

Twitter is notoriously inconsistent with their standards regarding what is considered a bannable offense, or even what constitutes a breach of their terms of service.

I have friends who have received threats of violence and Twitter won't even take those tweets down, but if you dare point out that Congressional candidate and Gamergate figure Brianna Wu is trans (even as politely as possible), you get suspended.

I've also personally experienced similar bullshit from Twitter. One particular banned PFA user spammed blatant lies about me to my entire followers list (he tweeted the same thing to each person, one by one), and they gave him a lol 1 day suspension. Then he posted my address, which Twitter had me VERIFY was my real address before taking action (lol). And then once I verified it was mine, they deleted the tweet and gave him just a "warning".

There are tons of complaints all over the web regarding Twitter either being way too harsh or way too lenient with their actions against ToS violations. They are also infamous for being much harsher against violations by famous/well known people on the right than ones on the left.

[Dan Druff]

Regarding Jones, Twitter's move looks like an attempt to pacify its lefty critics.

For whatever reason, Twitter refused to ban Jones from the platform, despite his simultaneous bans from iTunes, Facebook, and YouTube.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey even took a passive aggressive swipe at the other tech giants when asked why Jones wasn't removed from Twitter.

However, there was too much leftist backlash, and Dorsey finally must have decided to do something to pacify them. He probably assumes that this suspension is a middle ground which can get the fascist portion of the left off his back, while leaving himself room to defend against 'deplatforming' allegations from the right and free-speech left.

Here's an article from August 8, where Dorsey defends his decision NOT to suspend Jones: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018...orsey-infowars

We didn’t suspend Alex Jones or Infowars yesterday. We know that’s hard for many but the reason is simple: he hasn’t violated our rules.

We’ll enforce if he does. And we’ll continue to promote a healthy conversational environment by ensuring tweets aren’t artificially amplified.

We’re going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories.

The last line, which I bolded, was the passive-aggressive swipe against Apple/facebook/Google which I referred to above.

Anyway, this "suspension" also gives Dorsey the ability to gauge the reaction from both sides, and see if he wants to turn the suspension into a ban. Pretty smart, actually.

He told NBC Nightly News (which airs tonight):

I feel any suspension, whether it be a permanent or a temporary one, makes someone think about their actions and their behaviors.

We can’t build a service that is subjective just to the whims of what we personally believe.

We need to look at behaviors, when people are trying to shut down the voices of others. People are trying to harass others. And that’s independent of a viewpoint.

I don't really understand the last line. He seems to be claiming that Jones is "trying to shut down the voices of others", but Jones doesn't have that power. Twitter and the other Big Media companies have that power, but Jones does not. All Jones can do is present a dissenting viewpoint.


Personally, I never liked Jones. He went from a fringe conspiracy weirdo to a major media figure after he was lucky enough to land the Charlie Sheen interview where Sheen acted like a nutcase and kept saying "Winning".

Tons of people found Jones at that point, and his popularity skyrocketed.

I was also surprised to learn that Jones is two years YOUNGER than I am. I thought he was about 5-8 years older than me.

Anyway, while I don't listen to Jones or support most of what he says, there was definitely collusion between Big Media companies to deplatform him. That can't be denied.

Sure, you can claim that Jones isn't a sympathetic character. He said some absolutely awful things about victims of mass shootings, accusing them of being actors in a vast conspiracy, and I can imagine that family members of these victims are incredibly disgusted hearing about a high profile host using major social media platforms to spread such ideas.

Big Media is hiding behind "terms of service" excuses, basically claiming that they would suspend any user who spews "hate" the way Jones has, so therefore Jones shouldn't get a pass because he's famous.

The problem is that the word "hate" is starting to expand to mean right-leaning dissent. Criticism of transgender movements (such as the bathroom thing) could be considered "hate". Criticism of militant minority groups such as BLM could be considered "hate". Even support of Donald Trump is considered "hate" by many.

Big Media has become a functional monopoly. If you're blocked from posting on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and iTunes, your voice has been incredibly diminished. And if we give these companies the power to collude and shut out voices they don't like, under the guise of "anti-hate", then we are giving them the incredible power to control our access to dissenting viewpoints.

Anyone who truly supports civil liberties and free speech should be outraged by this. I find it unlikely they will stop just at Jones. He was likely the trial balloon -- a "safer" option to censor. If Big Media comes away feeling their censorship of Jones was received more positively than negatively, more of this sort of thing -- with far less-controversial right-wing figures -- will follow.

[hongkonger]

Twitter sucked before this.

[Crowe Diddly]

If Alex gets banned soon, it'll be because, no matter how much they want to defend his right to be there, people are mass-blocking the largest advertising accounts on the platform, thus affecting twitter's revenue. It's not about politics, its about optics and money. Alex is fucking up both of those for the places he's on/used to be on. He used to make them money. Now he costs money.

Because he's a toxic fuck who inspires crazy people to do insane shit, like target the Sandy Hook families to the point they can't even live in one location for very long before they get targeted death threats over and over and over. People who's kids were murdered, targeted by this fuck and his fans, over, and over, and over.

That's why Alex will be gone. Because he's a terrible human being who calls other terrible human beings to action, to do terrible, INDEFENSIBLE things to people who can't do anything about it. Corporations are FINALLY running away from the guy. It's not political. It's common sense.

[Dan Druff]

If Alex gets banned soon, it'll be because, no matter how much they want to defend his right to be there, people are mass-blocking the largest advertising accounts on the platform, thus affecting twitter's revenue. It's not about politics, its about optics and money. Alex is fucking up both of those for the places he's on/used to be on. He used to make them money. Now he costs money.

Because he's a toxic fuck who inspires crazy people to do insane shit, like target the Sandy Hook families to the point they can't even live in one location for very long before they get targeted death threats over and over and over. People who's kids were murdered, targeted by this fuck and his fans, over, and over, and over.

That's why Alex will be gone. Because he's a terrible human being who calls other terrible human beings to action, to do terrible, INDEFENSIBLE things to people who can't do anything about it. Corporations are FINALLY running away from the guy. It's not political. It's common sense.

What do you mean that "people are mass-blocking the largest advertising accounts on the platform".

Why are people blocking the advertising accounts over the matter of Jones? I haven't even heard about this happening. And if it's being done as some sort of protest, how widespread is it? I have to imagine only a very small percentage of their users took the time to do this.

Regarding your other points, should Maxine Waters be banned from their platforms because she encouraged people to harass members of the Trump Administration figures when they're out in public?

It really is a slippery slope.

I would actually be okay with the Jones bans IF:

1) It wasn't collusive. The simultaneous bans everywhere is a bad look.
AND
2) They make clear what is and isn't a bannable offense, and then stick to the standard regarding people of all political persuasions. So if they want to ban Jones for encouraging harassment of people in real life, then they need to ban anyone else who does that.


This was more of a ban for general "terms of service" reasons, which can later be applied to far less controversial right-leaning figures.

[Crowe Diddly]

What do you mean that "people are mass-blocking the largest advertising accounts on the platform".

Why are people blocking the advertising accounts over the matter of Jones? I haven't even heard about this happening. And if it's being done as some sort of protest, how widespread is it? I have to imagine only a very small percentage of their users took the time to do this.

It's fairly easy to do, surprised nobody has done it before, ans it takes no time at all, just clicking a link and giving permission. It's just an app you give approval to, and it blocks all the accounts on the included list. You can also just import the block list itself, which you can do thru the twitter settings. Most people likely skip dealing with CSV files and just approve the app. If jones gets banned, all accounts will immed get unbanned, according to the maker. The list is the top ~500 twitter advertisers and Fortune 500 companies.

https://blocktogether.org/show-block...Y2mxq_6iJ_hK2p

If you have an account blocked, you don't see that account's promoted tweets. I've always been in the habit of blocking advertisers who's tweets I found annoying in my feed, and I never see them again. This has only been up for what, 2-3 days I think, and is at least in the low hundred thousand users so far, but they've stopped giving out the number in the last day.

edit:as for "Why?" Because companies only ever do anything when there is money involved. Blocking advertisers en masse is assumed to be an effective way with fucking with twitter's money until Jones is gone.

extra edit: as for "why now?" Because of Jones sandy hook trial, obv.

[BetCheckBet]

Not a fan of Alex Jones but also not a fan of all the outlets censoring him. It just gives him more ammo.

[SetofKs]

Who even uses twitter? I'd be so embarassed if somebody I know IRL found out I use twitter. Seems like the only people who use it are celebs, poker players, black people (black twitter is god), and a few random weirdos. I barely know any normies who use it.

[hongkonger]

If Alex gets banned soon, it'll be because, no matter how much they want to defend his right to be there, people are mass-blocking the largest advertising accounts on the platform, thus affecting twitter's revenue. It's not about politics, its about optics and money. Alex is fucking up both of those for the places he's on/used to be on. He used to make them money. Now he costs money.

Because he's a toxic fuck who inspires crazy people to do insane shit, like target the Sandy Hook families to the point they can't even live in one location for very long before they get targeted death threats over and over and over. People who's kids were murdered, targeted by this fuck and his fans, over, and over, and over.

That's why Alex will be gone. Because he's a terrible human being who calls other terrible human beings to action, to do terrible, INDEFENSIBLE things to people who can't do anything about it. Corporations are FINALLY running away from the guy. It's not political. It's common sense.

What do you mean that "people are mass-blocking the largest advertising accounts on the platform".

Why are people blocking the advertising accounts over the matter of Jones? I haven't even heard about this happening. And if it's being done as some sort of protest, how widespread is it? I have to imagine only a very small percentage of their users took the time to do this.

Regarding your other points, should Maxine Waters be banned from their platforms because she encouraged people to harass members of the Trump Administration figures when they're out in public?

It really is a slippery slope.

I would actually be okay with the Jones bans IF:

1) It wasn't collusive. The simultaneous bans everywhere is a bad look.
AND
2) They make clear what is and isn't a bannable offense, and then stick to the standard regarding people of all political persuasions. So if they want to ban Jones for encouraging harassment of people in real life, then they need to ban anyone else who does that.


This was more of a ban for general "terms of service" reasons, which can later be applied to far less controversial right-leaning figures.

I agree there needs to be clarity and consistency. And I don't like social media or large traditional media companies having so much power. But Jones frequently ventures into areas that would not be speech protected by the first amendment even if the first amendment applied here.

[BiffCo99]

What do you mean that "people are mass-blocking the largest advertising accounts on the platform".

Why are people blocking the advertising accounts over the matter of Jones? I haven't even heard about this happening. And if it's being done as some sort of protest, how widespread is it? I have to imagine only a very small percentage of their users took the time to do this.

Regarding your other points, should Maxine Waters be banned from their platforms because she encouraged people to harass members of the Trump Administration figures when they're out in public?

It really is a slippery slope.

I would actually be okay with the Jones bans IF:

1) It wasn't collusive. The simultaneous bans everywhere is a bad look.
AND
2) They make clear what is and isn't a bannable offense, and then stick to the standard regarding people of all political persuasions. So if they want to ban Jones for encouraging harassment of people in real life, then they need to ban anyone else who does that.


This was more of a ban for general "terms of service" reasons, which can later be applied to far less controversial right-leaning figures.

I agree there needs to be clarity and consistency. And I don't like social media or large traditional media companies having so much power. But Jones frequently ventures into areas that would not be speech protected by the first amendment even if the first amendment applied here.

You want consistency? Guess what we’ll never get it because people like you have applauded this from the start and handed your balls and your rights to these big tech companies all because it happens to help your political side right now. How narrow minded and near sighted can you be?

What has he said that is not first amendment protected? Cite examples please, don’t just say “he incites violence” and “sandy hook”. That’s way too general and proves nothing without clear examples that I’ve yet to see. And if he says something libelous take him to court and sue him. Silencing him is wrong and bad for society.

[sonatine]

alex jones is a crisis actor, there was never an account to even ban.

[ErickAA]

I am not really familiar with Jones apart from listening to some bits he did on Rogan.

My understanding of his business model is that most of this $$ comes from people going to his actual website and advertising revenue from that website, and that from a monetization standpoint all the social media platforms were pretty minor. I wouldn't be surprised if in the short term this caused MORE people to go to his actual website and increases his business. Whether this is sustainable and whether losing his social media presence will negatively affect him in the long term I don't know.

[Crowe Diddly]

I am not really familiar with Jones apart from listening to some bits he did on Rogan.

My understanding of his business model is that most of this $$ comes from people going to his actual website and advertising revenue from that website, and that from a monetization standpoint all the social media platforms were pretty minor. I wouldn't be surprised if in the short term this caused MORE people to go to his actual website and increases his business. Whether this is sustainable and whether losing his social media presence will negatively affect him in the long term I don't know.

His business model used to be DVDs, T-shirts, merch, and subscription shit. In recent years, its been bullshit supplements and the greasiest of snake oils. He accumulated a very gullible audience, and you're goddamn right he uses that trust to rip them off as much as he can.

Here's a great description:

It is a brilliant business model. If you can be convinced that an international cabal of globalists is hell-bent on creating a New World Order, perhaps you could be persuaded to buy Infowars Life Survival Shield X-2, a one-fluid-ounce bottle of iodine supplement for $39.95. If you can be convinced that President Barack Obama was a member of Al Qaeda, perhaps you will buy two ounces of Infowars Life Super Male Vitality drops for $59.95. Alex Jones does sell some other products on his website, but the vast majority of the web ads and on-air product pitches are for his dietary supplements. The products themselves are largely produced by Dr. Edward F. Group III, a Houston chiropractor and founder of dietary-supplement-maker Global Healing Center. Group is an atypical doctor in that while he lists a bevy of educational accomplishments on his website and LinkedIn profile, degree-verification services indicate that he seems not to have completed college. When asked about Group’s undergraduate education, a representative of Global Healing Center declined to comment.

http://nymag.com/selectall/2017/05/h...ake-money.html

[BiffCo99]

I am not really familiar with Jones apart from listening to some bits he did on Rogan.

My understanding of his business model is that most of this $$ comes from people going to his actual website and advertising revenue from that website, and that from a monetization standpoint all the social media platforms were pretty minor. I wouldn't be surprised if in the short term this caused MORE people to go to his actual website and increases his business. Whether this is sustainable and whether losing his social media presence will negatively affect him in the long term I don't know.

Yeah it has backfired in the short term as Infowars has increased its audience but what happens when they get away with this and start censoring other voices that don’t have other outlets? Jones was their trial balloon and if they succeed you better be damn sure they start banning many other conservatives voices.

[FPS_Russia]

If they cared about fake news they would of banned Jones years back when he had an inkling of cred.

He says Hollywood's ran by Arabs, seriously lol
He totally trashed the Sept 11 truth movement.
He knows who you're not supposed to criticize so why did he get banned?
It's not Trump or even Sandy Hook.

He slipped up, he got caught up in the left vs right debate and forgot who you're not allowed to criticize. He had that Isaac Kappy on his show hahaha. So they made an example of him and sent a message to the other hosts out there.

Anyways, yeah it was because of Sandy Hook and Trump...

[hongkonger]

His business model used to be DVDs, T-shirts, merch, and subscription shit. In recent years, its been bullshit supplements and the greasiest of snake oils. He accumulated a very gullible audience, and you're goddamn right he uses that trust to rip them off as much as he can.

Here's a great description:

It is a brilliant business model. If you can be convinced that an international cabal of globalists is hell-bent on creating a New World Order, perhaps you could be persuaded to buy Infowars Life Survival Shield X-2, a one-fluid-ounce bottle of iodine supplement for $39.95. If you can be convinced that President Barack Obama was a member of Al Qaeda, perhaps you will buy two ounces of Infowars Life Super Male Vitality drops for $59.95. Alex Jones does sell some other products on his website, but the vast majority of the web ads and on-air product pitches are for his dietary supplements. The products themselves are largely produced by Dr. Edward F. Group III, a Houston chiropractor and founder of dietary-supplement-maker Global Healing Center. Group is an atypical doctor in that while he lists a bevy of educational accomplishments on his website and LinkedIn profile, degree-verification services indicate that he seems not to have completed college. When asked about Group’s undergraduate education, a representative of Global Healing Center declined to comment.

http://nymag.com/selectall/2017/05/h...ake-money.html

What, InfoWars listeners are suckers? Say it ain't so.

[Crowe Diddly]

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