As Twitchy reported Monday, it seemed like every social media platform in existence — including YouPorn and Pinterest — had banned Alex Jones and Infowars. Facebook, Apple, Google, YouTube, Spotify … all the big names — except one — got together and erased Jones from their services.
The holdout was Twitter, and CEO Jack Dorsey explained why in a thread Tuesday night:
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.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018
Truth is we’ve been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past. We’re fixing that. 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.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018
If we succumb and simply react to outside pressure, rather than straightforward principles we enforce (and evolve) impartially regardless of political viewpoints, we become a service that’s constructed by our personal views that can swing in any direction. That’s not us.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018
Accounts like Jones' can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, so it’s critical journalists document, validate, and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018
For what it’s worth, accounts like The New York Times and Chris Cuomo and Rachel Maddow can spread unsubstantiated claims too, so it’s critical that the public document and validate their information as well.
Is it possible Jack did something right?
Worth reading this thread. https://t.co/vcXx5NshpU
— neontaster (@neontaster) August 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1026988104199094273
Twitter hasn’t always done the right thing, but this thread is spot on. Hope the other major platforms take note. https://t.co/zOXIYDxKjS
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) August 8, 2018
This is the best answer I have seen on this topic so far. Thank you Jack. https://t.co/FOIDTaudAi
— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) August 8, 2018
Or not.
You’re very terrible and everyone knows it. Your actions are to continually bend over in favor of nazis, racists, misogynists and misinformers plus bots. You’ve done it to prop up your stock price and made the world worse. https://t.co/avXh3dmmiu
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) August 8, 2018
He’s partly correct; giving Willis a Twitter account has made the world worse.
This poorly thought out, ill-advised statement is contradictory. Essentially: "We didn't suspend Alex Jones because he hasn't broken the rules we came up with ourselves. We have to be impartial. We can't just go making up rules!" https://t.co/4B3TiyF3nU
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) August 8, 2018
then change your rules. You are perpetuating and enabling great harm to the country and the world. Clean it up. And stop with your patronizing tweets to us. This is on YOU, @jack https://t.co/fvmOv4Ht1H
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) August 8, 2018
You own the company. If the rules on the books are insufficient and don't achieve your company's goals of promoting a healthy conversational environment, you can change them. https://t.co/1ndHWZT86B
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) August 8, 2018
Yes, that’s Jill Filipovic talking about “a healthy conversational environment.”
*sigh* what are the “rules” Jack? https://t.co/gxhZR3chQQ
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) August 8, 2018
Seems like a problem with the rules https://t.co/9Yse4kTLqB
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) August 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/goldietaylor/status/1026992222728859656
Someday, Jack, you will understand the magnitude of your decision and you will, I guarantee you, feel shame. https://t.co/NGOTcZu7yV
— Melinda Byerley (@MJB_SF) August 8, 2018
Don't get mad. Get even. Stop using Twitter. It's hard to imagine worse people to go to bat for than Alex "Sandy Hook truther" Jones, or the Proud Boys who invaded Portland. But @Jack wants their business more than yours. #DeleteTwitter https://t.co/Bnn3kXiDy7
— Dan O'Sullivan (@Bro_Pair) August 8, 2018
Brace yourself. The ratio is coming. https://t.co/XqppWCFVeE
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) August 8, 2018
Did we mention that the Infowars app hasn’t been removed from the Apple store?
Infowars becomes fourth-most popular Apple news app in US after crackdown from tech companies https://t.co/EON98345mu pic.twitter.com/VRHNpidbti
— The Hill (@thehill) August 8, 2018
Related:
'You guys are the WORST'! Vox doing themselves — and SJWs — ZERO favors with this take on Alex Jones https://t.co/MuR9BjFnRX
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 7, 2018
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