Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Explains Why Alex Jones Is Not Banned

<p>Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted Tuesday that Infowars founder Alex Jones has not been banned from the platform because he "he hasn't violated our rules." </p>

Wednesday, August 8th 2018, 11:14 am

By: News 9

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Explains Why Alex Jones Is Not Banned

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted Tuesday that Infowars founder Alex Jones has not been banned from the platform because he "he hasn't violated our rules." Dorsey's announcement after Apple, Facebook and YouTube earlier this week removed some content from Jones and Infowars.

In a series of tweets, Dorsey wrote that Jones would be removed from Twitter if he violates the platform's rules. Dorsey wrote that Twitter will "continue to promote a healthy conversational environment by ensuring tweets aren't artificially amplified."

"If we succumb and simply react to outside pressure, rather than straightforward principles we enforce (and evolve) impartially regardless of political viewpoints, we become a service that's constructed by our personal views that can swing in any direction. That's not us," Dorsey wrote. "Accounts like Jones' can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, so it's critical journalists document, validate, and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best."

But Dorsey admitted the platform has been "terrible" at explaining why certain people are banned. He pledged to fix that about the platform.

We didn’t suspend Alex Jones or Infowars yesterday. We know that’s hard for many but the reason is simple: he hasn’t violated our rules. We’ll enforce if he does. And we’ll continue to promote a healthy conversational environment by ensuring tweets aren’t artificially amplified.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

Truth is we’ve been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past. We’re fixing that. We’re going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

If we succumb and simply react to outside pressure, rather than straightforward principles we enforce (and evolve) impartially regardless of political viewpoints, we become a service that’s constructed by our personal views that can swing in any direction. That’s not us.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

Accounts like Jones' can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, so it’s critical journalists document, validate, and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

Since Apple, Facebook and YouTube removed Infowars' content, Jones and other Infowars' employees have been tweeting about the "internet purge" and the "fight for free speech."

Several families of Sandy Hook shooting victims are suing Jones for defamation after he repeatedly claiming the 2012 shooting was a hoax. In a Texas court last week, Jones' attorney said his client's comments should be protected under freedom of speech. Jones now admits the shooting the is real.

Truth is we’ve been terrible at explaining our decisions in the past. We’re fixing that. We’re going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

If we succumb and simply react to outside pressure, rather than straightforward principles we enforce (and evolve) impartially regardless of political viewpoints, we become a service that’s constructed by our personal views that can swing in any direction. That’s not us.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

Accounts like Jones' can often sensationalize issues and spread unsubstantiated rumors, so it’s critical journalists document, validate, and refute such information directly so people can form their own opinions. This is what serves the public conversation best.
— jack (@jack) August 8, 2018

Since Apple, Facebook and YouTube removed Infowars' content, Jones and other Infowars' employees have been tweeting about the "internet purge" and the "fight for free speech."

","published":"2018-08-08T16:14:55.000Z","updated":"2018-08-08T16:14:55.000Z","summary":"

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted Tuesday that Infowars founder Alex Jones has not been banned from the platform because he "he hasn't violated our rules."

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