Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones will not be allowed back on Twitter
(Picture: AP)Elon Musk has ruled out allowing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back onto Twitter, having now reinstated the accounts of Kanye West and Donald Trump.
The social media site’s new owner said he has “no mercy” for Jones and his Infowars website after it published false allegations around the Sandy Hook school massacre.
The two accounts were permanently banned in 2018 for violating the platform’s abusive behaviour policy as Jones’s theorising led to bereaved parents being harassed.
Jones was ordered by a US court to pay more than $1.4bn to families in damages after claiming the shooting, in which 20 children and six teaching staff were killed a decade ago, did not happen.
Following the return of high-profile online aggravators Ye and Mr Trump last week, Musk was asked by industry commentators Sam Harris and Kim Dotcom if the forgiving approach would extend to Jones. And it quickly became apparent that a line had been drawn.
My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 21, 2022
I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.
“My firstborn child died in my arms,” Musk said, referring to losing his child to sudden infant death syndrome in 2002.
“I felt his last heartbeat. I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.”
Former US president Mr Trump was ejected after his tweets were seen to incite the 2021 riots at the Capitol and is now back after a poll hosted by Musk voted in favour. But he has not tweeted since his return - instead focusing on the network he founded in response to his ban, Truth Social.
But while rapper Ye was reportedly interested in buying right-wing forum Parler, he has made his voice heard on Twitter, on Sunday writing ‘Shalom’ an apparent peace offering after his anti semetic-judged tweets led to his ban. Musk welcomed him back, writing: “Don’t kill what ye hate, Save what ye love.”
I'm back. Thanks @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/MnWWNDACGD
— Dr Jordan B Peterson (@jordanbpeterson) November 18, 2022
Accounts for Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, the British-US former kickboxer Andrew Tate, and rightwing US organisation Project Veritas are also back online having been suspended. Peterson celebrated the news by sharing an image of Jack Nicholson breaking down a door in the film The Shining, with the caption “I’m back. Thanks @elonmusk.”
Musk has also said that another planned change to blue tick verification, which could see users pay for an enhanced version of Twitter, will not be implamented right away.
He tweeted: “Holding off relaunch of Blue Verified until there is high confidence of stopping impersonation.
“Will probably use different color check for organizations than individuals.”
