Billionaire Elon Musk is expected to make significant changes to Twitter after acquiring a major stake in the social media giant and joining its board of directors, with an eye on free speech and banned accounts.
At the end of March, Musk created a poll on Twitter asking users if they believe Twitter adheres to free speech principles, which he said are essential to a functioning democracy. Approximately 70% of the over 2 million people who responded to the poll said, “No.”
Prominent conservatives, such as firebrand Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, said the first step Musk should take at Twitter is to restore free speech policies to the platform and allow former President Donald Trump to return from his suspension.
Here are some of the most well-known individuals and organizations that have been banned from Twitter for violating the platform’s content moderation rules.
MUSK HAS LIKELY ALREADY MADE MORE THAN $1 BILLION ON TWITTER INVESTMENT
Martin Shkreli, former hedge fund manager and convicted felon
Shkreli was permanently banned from Twitter in January 2017 for sexually harassing journalist Lauren Duca.
Roger Stone, conservative political consultant and lobbyist
Stone was permanently banned from Twitter in October 2017 for harassing CNN journalists.
Alex Jones, far-right radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist
Jones was permanently banned from Twitter in September 2018 for violating Twitter’s policies on inciting violence and abusive behavior.
Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist to former President Donald Trump
Bannon was permanently banned from Twitter in November 2020 for suggesting on his podcast that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded.
Donald Trump, former president of the United States
Trump and his presidential campaign account, @TeamTrump, were both permanently banned from Twitter in January 2021 for their role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Twitter said, though, that the ban on Trump’s Twitter account would not be reversed because of Musk, telling the Daily Mail that “policy decisions are not determined by” board members or shareholders.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District
Greene was permanently banned from Twitter in January 2022 for multiple violations of Twitter’s COVID-19 misinformation policy.
James O’Keefe, conservative political activist and founder of Project Veritas
O’Keefe was permanently banned from Twitter in April 2021 because Twitter stated that he was operating fake accounts in violation of its rules against platform manipulation and spam.
Dr. Robert Malone, controversial virologist and immunologist
Malone was permanently banned from Twitter in December 2021 for repeatedly violating Twitter’s COVID-19 misinformation policy.
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Conservative humor publication the Babylon Bee, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and Fox News host Tucker Carlson
The Babylon Bee, Kirk, and Carlson all have their Twitter accounts temporarily locked for hateful conduct for referring to U.S. Assistant Health Secretary and prominent transgender official Rachel Levine as a male, mocking USA Today for including a trans woman in their “Women of the Year” list. Twitter has a hateful conduct policy that doesn’t allow users to misgender transgender individuals.
Republican Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District was also temporarily suspended from Twitter in October 2021 for referring to Levine as a man.
Some users, though, have avoided suspension and censorship despite using violence-inciting language or violating Twitter’s content rules, such as members of the leftist group antifa, the Ayatollah of Iran, and China‘s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
