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Elon Musk announced in a tweet on Friday that under his ownership Twitter would not allow the defamed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back on the platform.
Musk made the comment after asking users what Twitter should do next. When one suggested bringing back Alex Jones, Musk replied simply: ‘No.’
Jones, who famously denied the Sandy Hook mass shooting took place, said in a video he did not blame Musk for not allowing him back on Twitter and described himself as ‘the most controversial figure in the world’.
His comment came around a day before former president Donald Trump was reinstated to Twitter after Musk created a poll presenting the question to users.
Around 52 percent of those who responded – nearly 8 million people – said Trump should be allowed to return.
Musk – who presented himself as a democratizer of internet speech when he took over Twitter – said in October a ‘content moderation council’ would be formed to decide who should be allowed to use the platform.
Musk did not specify who made the decision to maintain Jones’s ban and did not elaborate on the process behind that decision.
Depending on if and when such a council is formed, Jones may be able to return to Twitter.
Numerous Twitter accounts linked to Alex Jones were permanently suspended from Twitter in 2018 and he has not been on the platform since.
Elon Musk responded to a comment from a Twitter user suggesting conspiracy theorist Alex Jones should be allowed back on the platform with ‘No’.
Musk’s comments suggesting Jones would not be allowed back on Twitter after his 2018 permanent suspension came just before Donald Trump had his account restored on Saturday
Jones responded to Musk’s comments, saying that he ‘doesn’t blame’ him and suggested that he was victim to political pressures. Jones described himself as the ‘most controversial figure in the world’
In October Musk said that Twitter would form a council to decide who should be allowed to use Twitter
In the video Jones said he thought Musk was coming under political pressure to not allow him back on Twitter.
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‘I understand why Musk did this. He’s got the ADL and the Democratic party on him, he’s got the EU on him trying to shut him down right now.’ Jones said in the video.
When referring to the ADL, he was likely referring to the Anti-Defamation League, a non-governmental organization based in the United States that deals with civil rights.
‘Now, do I blame Elon Musk for this? No, ladies and gentlemen. And quite frankly, I don’t care if I get brought back to Twitter,’ Jones said.
‘I’m the most controversial figure in the world because I’m the most threatening to the new world order. So don’t expect him to bring me back day one when he has to first get control of the platform before he can even think about that,’ he said.
When pressed by people on Twitter challenging Musk’s refusal to allow Jones to return, he responded with another brief comment: ‘Too bad’.
When pressed by people on Twitter who challenged Musk’s refusal to allow a return of Jones, he responded with just: ‘Too bad’
‘Now, do I blame Elon Musk for this? No, ladies and gentlemen. And quite frankly, I don’t care if I get brought back to Twitter,’ Jones said
Musk ran the poll on Friday asking users to vote on whether Trump should be allowed to return to Twitter.
In that poll 52 percent of users voted that he should be allowed back. ‘The people have spoken,’ Musk said on Twitter, recounting the the Latin phrase: Vox Populi, Vox Dei.’
The phrase translates to ‘the voice of the people is the voice of God.’
The move reversed a ban that kept the former president off the social media site since a pro-Trump mob attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as Congress was preparing to certify Joe Biden’s election victory.
Over the weekend, at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting, Trump addressed his reinstatement, Musk’s takeover of the site and whether or not he actually plans to tweet again.
Via video call-in, Trump said he had heard Musk’s poll was getting a big response, but that he doesn’t ‘see any reason for it (a return to Twitter).’
On multiple occasions Musk has emphasized the difference between ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘freedom of reach’ – suggesting that while people should generally be allowed to tweet, their tweets may not necessarily be promoted to users.
In another tweet last week in which he repeated the mantra, Musk said he would be reinstating Kathie Griffin, Jordan Peterson and Babylon Bee.
