Earlier today, Diamond and Silk tweeted out this decidedly irresponsible advice on dealing with the COVID19 threat:
The only way we can become immune to the environment; we must be out in the environment. Quarantining people inside of their houses for extended periods will make people sick!
We can’t post the tweet itself because it’s been taken down for violating Twitter’s rules:
So, what rules, exactly? Well, Twitter’s rules against misinformation.
Diamond And Silk’s Tweet Removed After Twitter Says It Violated Coronavirus Misinformation Policy https://t.co/MeKRESq3f9
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) April 8, 2020
More:
Twitter said on Wednesday that it has locked the account of Diamond and Silk, the video bloggers and political commentators, for a tweet that criticized coronavirus crisis stay-at home orders and suggested that people should be “out in the environment.”
“The Tweet is in violation of our COVID-19 misinformation policy. The account will be locked until the account owner removes the Tweet,” a spokesperson for the platform said.
The tweet’s been taken down, so all is well chez Diamond and Silk.
Habibis, the List works pic.twitter.com/YkVjrnH5Uq
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) April 8, 2020
Heh.
In all seriousness, though, it’s hard to take Twitter’s crackdown on COVID19 misinformation as genuine when they only seem to be applying their rules selectively.
More from Deadline Hollywood:
On March 18, Twitter announced a new policy in the wake of the coronavirus that expanded its definition of what constitutes harmful posts. “We have broadened our definition of harm to address content that goes directly against guidance from authoritative sources of global and local public health information,” the platform announced.
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Perhaps no entity is more guilty of spreading misinformation that could harm the public health than the Chinese government. Nevertheless, they persist — with Twitter’s blessing.
Dear @jack:
The Chinese government is using @twitter to spread propaganda and lies about the coronavirus.
Their lies have very deadly & damaging consequences for the entire world:https://t.co/ZjQ1Fo10i1
I am holding my breath for your censorship team to take down this tweet. https://t.co/YpRyVskfST
— Mike Davis (@mrddmia) April 8, 2020
Want to go after Diamond and Silk for pushing harmful COVID19 misinformation, Twitter? Fine. But you’d sure as hell better do the same to the ChiComs. Otherwise your “rules” are completely worthless.
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