Twitter Suspends Hateful And Violent Accounts #TwitterPurge

Monday saw the beginning of #TwitterPurge, as the administrators of the company began the suspension and closing of the accounts that they deemed to be violent, hateful, and threatening. Among the suspended accounts are those of prominent white nationalists who called the move a “purge” and attack on free speech. Among those accounts suspended Monday are those of white nationalist Jared Taylor and his American Renaissance group, and British far-right activists Jayda Fransen and Paul Golding, along with the American Nazi Party.

Later on the same day, Twitter suspended another account belonging to the New Black Panther Party, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a “virulently racist and anti-Semitic organization” that encourages violence against whites and Jews.

Twitter is a private company and has the right to block any speech that it wants. The First Amendment only applies to government control of the speech. However, Twitter has billed itself as ‘the free speech wing of the free speech party’ and has not exerted much control over its legions of anonymous users. But under pressure to jump start stagnant user growth, the San Francisco-based company has recently taken a more restrictive approach as it tries to address years of complaints about rampant harassment, which in turn drives many users away.

It has begun…
Press F for respect😞#TwitterPurge #TwitterHolocaust pic.twitter.com/4dvoGPcppe

— White Is Love❤ (@silentgroyper) December 18, 2017

“While we want people to feel free to share media that reflects their creativity or individuality, or to show what’s happening in the world, we will take action when it crosses the line into abuse towards a person, group, or protected category,” the company said.

As of now, I don't see any systematic method to the #TwitterPurge. I've lost more than a hundred followers in 24 hrs, but lots of pro-White accounts, even shit-lordy ones, remain. @jartaylor got purged, but not @Steve_Sailer, @vdare, @TOOEdit , et al. Haphazard.

— Richard 🎄 Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) December 18, 2017

“I thought censoring people you disagreed with was fascist? Oh but you’re the good guys… right?,” wrote the account Kekistan MoD, which also posted an image of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey doctored to look like a Soviet leader, complete with the hammer and sickle.