Twitter Won’t Ban Alex Jones, and Debate About It Ensues – on Twitter

After Youtube, Spotify, Apple and Pinterest each removed videos and channels from “InfoWars” host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Twitter became the only major social media platform to continue hosting Jones’ content.

Twitter has no plans to remove Jones from its platform, and a person with direct knowledge of how Twitter is handling the situation said InfoWars is not currently in violation of the company’s policies.

Nonetheless, Twitter’s refusal to kick Jones out has sparked a debate — you guessed it — on Twitter, and the hashtag #BanAlexJones began gaining steam on Monday afternoon, the same day the top Twitter trend for the most part of the day in the U.S. was, more simply, “Alex Jones.”

Also Read: YouTube, Pinterest Pull Alex Jones and InfoWars Channels Following Bans by Apple, Facebook

Here are some of the users calling on Twitter to follow suit with other big tech companies and ban Jones.

If Alex Jones doesn’t violate your rules, you need better rules.

— Mike Monteiro wants @jack fired. (@monteiro) August 6, 2018

YouTube banned Alex Jones.
Facebook banned Alex Jones.
Apple banned Alex Jones.

What's the deal @Twitter?

— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) August 6, 2018

Twitter has a choice.

They can act with Facebook, YouTube and Apple and ALSO ban Alex Jones.

Or they can do nothing. Which will devastate all the work Twitter has done to combat hate speech on their platform.

The world is watching, @jack. Don’t undermine the work you’ve done.

— Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) August 6, 2018

One last thing.

It is unquestionable that banning Milo Yianopoulus from Twitter harmed his career. He’s barely in mainstream media anymore. He lost his platform for shock tactics.

Banning Alex Jones would also affect him. This tactic works.

— Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) August 6, 2018

What are you waiting for @Twitter? Ban Alex Jones.

— kob (@kabyber) August 6, 2018

Twitter won’t ban Alex Jones because outrage is the only thing that drives engagement on the platform.

— Jeremy Kennedy (@Jeremy__Kennedy) August 6, 2018

Do better, @jack.https://t.co/dAjJU5q6Ub

— Rational Agency (@RationalAgency) August 6, 2018

@twitter What say you Jack Dorsey? Its time for all social platforms to ban hate speech from Alex Jones and his type. If you won't, maybe its time for all of us to delete our accounts. #BoycottTwitter ??? America and the world are watching. https://t.co/cDNXvHAnBT

— Leslie Naples (@NaplesLeslie) August 6, 2018

@Twitter you wanna go ahead and ban Alex Jones InfoWars from this platform too? Aren’t you tired of protecting racist scumbags?

— Anthony ???? 13 (@AdotHam97) August 6, 2018

Morning, @jack. Spotify, Apple, Facebook, and YouTube have all banned Alex Jones. In the interest of transparency, which you are fond of telling us is important to you, please tell us why @twitter has not.

— Mike Monteiro wants @jack fired. (@monteiro) August 6, 2018

Alex Jones has violated policies on hate speech. This is NOT about free speech. His hate towards minorities CANNOT be tolerated. Twitter needs to follow. #BanAlexJones

— Chiara B. Townley (@chiarabtownley) August 6, 2018

Facebook: We have banned Infowars

Apple: We have banned Infowars

Twitter: Your account has been banned for tweeting “Sandy Hook really happened you idiot” at @UnJewTheMedia

— Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) August 6, 2018

If I violated the rules of Twitter, Google and/or Facebook because I made vile comments and threats of violence towards the parents of slain children, would the people saying that it is wrong to ban Alex Jones defend me as well? I doubt it — and rightfully so.

— Jeremy Hague (@jedwardhague) August 6, 2018

I feel like Twitter didn’t ban Alex Jones just so we’d have a place to watch him have a meltdown – or maybe because they’re ok with enabling bigotry. It’s one of the two.

— Evan J'daté Kessler (@EvanJKessler) August 6, 2018

@Twitter IF ALL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS ARE BANNING #AlexJones WHY MAY I ASK, DO YOU ALLOW @POTUS TO STILL USE YOUR PLATFORM, OTHER THAN YOU ARE MAKING PROFIT OF HIS RACISM AND DIVISION OF THE COUNTRY. #BAN_DONALDTRUMP

— GIIOZT (@GIIOZT) August 6, 2018

Others argued that banning Jones would represent a violation of free speech.

It is wrong to ban him, because banning people is stupid and tyrannical. Free speech means the right to say what those in power don't like, or it's not free speech at all. It's not my place to defend Alex Jones, but I will defend free speech and a free society.

— TheRevJamesP (@RevJamesP) August 6, 2018

This is not the first time Twitter has been criticized for how it polices content and behavior on its platform. The company has often been rebuked for allowing white supremacists and other perpetrators of hate speech to maintain a presence on the platform — and verifying them as legitimate accounts. But the platform has also caught backlash for its policing, namely, when it temporarily blocked actress Rose McGowan, an accuser and vocal critic of Harvey Weinstein, after she included a phone number in her tweets.