Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog

Conspiracy theory loon Alex Jones just got deplatformed:

Major technology companies including Apple, Facebook and YouTube deleted years of content from conservative conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars platforms over allegations of hate speech, a sudden clampdown that is fueling the growing debate over how big technology companies choose to censor.

The move was unusual for its sweep and speed, suggesting a new assertiveness by technology companies that in the past have worked to avoid alienating conservatives, who often assert that left-leaning Silicon Valley is biased against them. The removals appeared to be prompted by more users flagging Infowars content for policy violations.

Jones’ shows long have sparked complaints because of many elaborate and unsupported claims, including that mass shootings such as the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School may have been staged and that the government orchestrated the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In July, YouTube banned one of his videos from June titled “How to Prevent Liberalism,” which depicts a man shoving a kid to the ground.

But in acting against Jones in recent days, the technology companies cited unspecified violations of their rules against hateful language. Facebook said in a statement Monday it was removing four of Jones’ pages “for glorifying violence, which violates our graphic violence policy, and using dehumanizing language to describe people who are transgender, Muslims and immigrants, which violates our hate speech policies.”

Note that Jones wasn’t kicked off Facebook for “being a lunatic” or libel or slander, it was failing to show sufficient deference to the sacred shibboleths of the left. Jones was kicked off for having the wrong opinions. And now anyone who opposes jihad, thinks illegal aliens should be deported, or refuses to call Bruce Jenner a woman is eligible for the same deplatforming.

Sayeth Instapundit:

(1) This is absolutely the first stage in a coordinated plan to deplatform everyone on the right. It’s not really about Alex Jones at all. (2) Aside from its free-speech* implications, which are serious indeed, this also looks like an antitrust violation: Media companies, which compete with Jones for eyeballs, colluded to get other media companies to shut him down. Were I Jones, I’d file an antitrust suit. This is more than arguably conspiracy in restraint of trade (and possibly a conspiracy to deprive him of civil rights). (3) This is proof that we need to break up these big tech companies, which exercise way too much power via their near-monopolies. That they coordinate in the abuse of those monopolies only makes it clearer.

Here’s Infowars own Paul Joseph Wilson’s take on the purge (at least until YouTube decides to deplatform him as well):

I don’t necessarily agree with the need for new laws. Existing antitrust law may be sufficient.

Some tweets:

Aside from the utterly obnoxious & disingenuous equating of censorship opposition with "defending Alex Jones," this faith that Mark Zuckerberg, Google execs & their friends will faithfully and benevolently decide what is "hate speech" is just laughable https://t.co/3KXEHvi2n5 https://t.co/ODuuEpxuBE

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 7, 2018

Remember: YouTube is a private company that can do whatever it wants.

It’s not like it’s a bakery or something. pic.twitter.com/MciIfXn9TR

— Lee Stranahan (@stranahan) August 7, 2018

Who’s more dangerous to democratic liberty, Alex Jones or a powerful Senator who wants to suppress dissident voices? https://t.co/NVfR7CfrMm

— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) August 8, 2018

Tags: Alex Jones, Apple Computer, censorship, Facebook, Free Speech, Google, Infowars, Mark Zuckerberg, Media Watch, Paul Joseph Wilson, video, YouTube

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 8th, 2018 at 8:47 AM and is filed under Media Watch, video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.