| Dear Katy, Some of the internet's biggest platforms have banned infamous racist and extreme conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, but not Twitter. Earlier this week, under massive pressure, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that Twitter would suspend Jones and his site Infowars for seven days after Jones posted a video calling on his supporters to prepare their "battle rifles" for war with his enemies.1 In those seven days, Dorsey seems to think that Jones will reflect on his behavior and reform.2 With such egregious violations of Twitter's terms of service, Dorsey's insistence on a timeout instead of an all-out ban is unacceptable. Tell Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey: Block Alex Jones, InfoWars and any other account Jones has used to spew his hatred and dangerous conspiracy theories. Click here to sign the petition. Twitter can't seem to decide where it stands. First, the company said Jones had not violated its terms of service while confirming that the content for which Facebook and other platforms banned Jones would have also violated Twitter's own standards. Then, when confronted with evidence that Jones had in fact posted the very same content that got him banned from other sites, Twitter declined to comment.3 Before the suspension was announced, Jones himself applauded Dorsey for Twitter's inaction thanking him for "standing strong."4 Jones doesn't just spew far-right, anti-Muslim, anti-LGBTQ hatred – he actually glorifies violence and uses his outrageous conspiracy theories to instigate his supporters into harassing and attacking people both on Twitter and in real life.5 Jones has refused to back down from his attacks on Sandy Hook and Parkland survivors, insisting that the shootings were fake. A number of the victims' families have sued Jones after constant and serial harassment from his supporters who believe his lies.6 Twitter's decision to suspend Jones isn't good enough. With Facebook, YouTube and more than 11 other major tech companies blocking Jones for good, it's past time for Twitter to follow suit.7 The momentum is on our side. One Twitter user wrote a viral thread about how to block all Fortune 500 companies until Twitter bans Jones, and already more than 50,000 Twitter users have taken action.8 If we all speak up, we can hold the company accountable and demand its leaders do everything they can to create a space that does not tolerate such extreme hate. Tell Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey: Block Alex Jones, Infowars and any other account Jones has used to spew his hatred and dangerous conspiracy theories. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Twitter_Alex_Jones?t=7&akid=29687%2E12967895%2E2yD9wq Thanks for speaking out, Kaili Lambe, Organizing Director
CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References - Casey Newton, "Twitter users are protesting Alex Jones with a viral block list," The Verge, Aug. 16, 2018.
- Ibid.
- Oliver Darcy, "Twitter says Infowars hasn't 'violated our rules.' It looks like that's not the case," CNN, Aug. 9, 2018.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- Melanie Schmitz, "Twitter suspends Alex Jones for one week following threatening video," Think Progress, Aug. 15, 2018.
- Sarah Wells, "Here are the platforms that have banned Infowars so far," TechCrunch, Aug. 8, 2018.
- Shannon Coulter, "How to Get Alex Jones Off Twitter Once and For All," Aug. 12, 2018.
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