Technology
Monday, December 11th, 2023 3:10 pm EDT
Key Points
- Reinstatement of Alex Jones: Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), has decided to reinstate the account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, breaking a promise made a year ago to keep Jones off the social network. Jones had been suspended from Twitter in 2018 for violating the “abusive behavior policy” after spreading false claims, including the assertion that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
- False Claims and Harassment: Jones falsely and repeatedly claimed on his show, Infowars, that the Sandy Hook shooting was staged to promote stricter gun laws. This led to harassment and threats against bereaved family members, with some physically confronted and accused of being crisis actors. Sandy Hook victims’ relatives sued Jones, winning a nearly $1.5 billion judgment against him. However, Jones sought bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than $1 billion of that judgment.
- Musk’s Control of X and Controversies: Musk’s decision to reinstate Jones comes amid controversies surrounding Musk’s management of X. Musk, who presents himself as a free speech defender, has used his control of X to suspend accounts of perceived enemies and critics. He reversed the suspension of former President Donald Trump and faced backlash for changes at X, including widespread reversals of account suspensions. In recent weeks, major advertisers suspended campaigns on X after Musk promoted what the White House called “antisemitic and racist hate” on the platform, leading to confrontational remarks from Musk at the 2023 DealBook Summit in New York.
On Sunday, Elon Musk reinstated the account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), breaking a year-old promise to keep Jones off the platform. Jones had been suspended from Twitter in 2018 for violating the “abusive behavior policy,” following his false claim that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. Despite the tragic event on December 14, 2012, where 20 children and six educators lost their lives, Jones repeatedly asserted on his show, Infowars, that the shooting was staged to promote stricter gun laws.
The decision to bring back Jones to X coincides with the anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting. Infowars still appeared to be banned from X as of Sunday. Jones’ false claims led to harassment and threats against grieving family members, with some targeted individuals having to relocate multiple times for their safety. Sandy Hook victims’ relatives sued Jones, resulting in a nearly $1.5 billion judgment against him. Jones sought bankruptcy protection to avoid paying over $1 billion of that judgment.
Elon Musk, who leads X, had hinted at the possible reinstatement of Jones on Thursday, stating that permanent bans on the platform should be rare since it aspires to be a global town square. Musk confirmed the decision on Sunday after conducting a poll on X, where over half of the nearly 2 million votes favored reinstating Jones. Musk asserted that Jones cannot break the law but mentioned that X’s community notes feature would correct misinformation.
Jones’ first activity on X was reposting a welcome-back message from Andrew Tate, known for misogynistic views and facing charges of rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to exploit women in Romania. While Musk presents himself as a free speech advocate, he has suspended accounts of perceived enemies and critics on X, including software developer Travis Brown, private jet tracker account creator Jack Sweeney, and Aaron Greenspan, founder of legal database PlainSite.
Under Musk’s management, X also sued Media Matters for America and one of its staff members, alleging defamation after an investigative report revealed Nazi content on the platform. Musk has faced criticism for changes at X since taking over in October 2022, including the widespread reversal of account suspensions, notably reinstating former President Donald Trump. Advertisers suspended campaigns on X after Musk promoted what the White House labeled “antisemitic and racist hate,” leading Musk to respond with confrontational remarks at the 2023 DealBook Summit in New York.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/10/elon-musk-reactivates-alex-jones-x-accounts-.html
