News
Alex Jones returns to X after user poll overrules previous ban
His return signifies a controversial and noteworthy shift in X’s approach toward content management.
Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.
Five years ago, Alex Jones, notorious conspiracy theorist, was expelled from Twitter by the platform’s safety team.
Today, however, he finds himself back on the same forum, now named X. The key player behind this surprising event is none other than Elon Musk.
Last weekend, Musk took to X and threw a poll at the masses: should Jones get his golden ticket back to the platform? The crowd went wild, and nearly two million folks cast their votes.
Lo and behold, a whopping 70 percent were all for Jones’s comeback.
Musk had previously insisted that Jones, known for spreading conspiracy theories about Sandy Hook, had no place on X.
Nevertheless, ahead of an interview with Jones hosted by Tucker Carlson and streamed on X, Musk appeared to change his stance.
“The platform aspires to be an international meeting place, and as such, permanent bans should be very few,” Musk announced, justifying his decision to hold the poll.
When the results came out on Saturday, Musk took to X and said, “The people have spoken, and so it shall be.”
Alex Jones is back
Jones is known for disseminating a myriad of conspiracy theories through his well-known show, InfoWars. He marked his return to the platform by streaming a lengthy, nearly three-hour interview.
Throughout the conversation, Musk joined in alongside a range of other right-wing figures. These included influencer and alleged rapist Andrew Tate and GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Why was Jones banned in the first place?
In September 2018, Twitter’s safety team announced a ban on Jones amid a broader effort to deplatform the right-wing media figure.
Citing an instance of “abusive behavior,” Twitter pointed to an altercation between Jones and CNN reporter Oliver Darcy during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that Jones broadcasted live on Twitter.
This ban came in response to weeks of increasing public calls to suspend Jones’s account. Around the same time, Jones faced similar bans from a host of other platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.
With his return to the very platform that once expelled him, Jones once again has a chance to share his perspectives with millions of users daily.
Although his past actions have not been forgotten, his return signifies a controversial and noteworthy shift in X’s approach toward content management.
Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.
Editors’ Recommendations:
- Elon Musk backtracks on Twitter/X URL headline feature
- The PlayStation 5 is breaking up with Twitter
- X (Twitter) starts rolling out voice and video-calling feature on iOS
- X, formerly Twitter, trials $1 per year subscription for new users
Follow us on Flipboard, Google News, or Apple News
