Twitter bans thousands of QAnon accounts in crackdown

The Hill ^ | 07/21/20 08:27 PM EDT | BY CHRIS MILLS RODRIGO

[RandFan]

Twitter has banned thousands of accounts affiliated with QAnon as part of a crackdown on the conspiracy theory, a spokesperson for the platform confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday.

Accounts and content tied to QAnon will no longer be included in email, push or follow recommendations. Twitter will also take steps to limit the spread of that content in trends and search.

Roughly 150,000 accounts worldwide will be affected by that change, according to Twitter.

More than 7,000 affiliated accounts have already been removed in recent weeks for violating the platform's rules against spam, manipulation and evading bans.

NBC News first reported the takedowns.

The crackdown on the QAnon theory – which posits that President Trump and the military are working together to expose a shadowy cabal of figures in media, entertainment and politics – comes amid problems with harassment against certain figures, according to Twitter.

Some celebrities, including Chrissy Teigen, have been targeted online by social media users recently.

The once-fringe online theory has gained mainstream recognition in recent months, with multiple Republican candidates for Congress expressing support for its tenets.

The FBI labeled the loose community a potential domestic terror threat last year.

[centurion316]

Many people believe that platforms like Twitter ought to be regulated like utilities which would limit their ability to do these sort of tricks (Maybe). Right now, the laws appear to be insufficient to ensure fair treatment in social media.

[centurion316]

And your point? Publicly traded companies are private, although subject to regulations to protect the marketplace and protect the shareholders.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Well, if “Q” is just a bunch of crackpots there would be nothing to be afraid of. Twitter should take their money and let them post.

And if there is nothing to it, the President...who knows about Q...should just come out and say its a fraud. It would be done within an hour (Why doesn’t any reporter ask him??They know about it!.

[Cboldt]

Twitter could just allow a Q playpen, but even that is a bridge too far.

Fascinating how technology is used to control communication.

[Jane Long]

And, now....there's this...

Twitter Bans Jewish Star of David in Profile Images - Deems it "Hateful Imagery" https://t.co/6CSHwOa1H0 via @gatewaypundit pic.twitter.com/C1kuAunhBy— Jim Hoft (@gatewaypundit) July 22, 2020

[FLvoter]

As a doubter of Q I’ll admit this gives a lot of credibility to him/them.

[BOBWADE]

Time for civil suits for violation of first amendment Rights. Let the DOJ devote time and attention to defending our bill of rights.

[Miss Didi]

But ANTIFA accounts are safe and sound

Well...they are peaceful.

Antifa and BLM rioters trash the Portland federal courthouse and set the front of the building on fire. pic.twitter.com/UOW07pDZiH— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 21, 2020

[Steven Tyler]

17Anon

[Major Matt Mason]

If the Q team is a real thing, then it is time for them to start putting some real points on the board. Posting memes and depending on a "digital army" isn't going to get you very far, and the proof is that we have gone through almost all of Trump's term waiting for someone to do something while nothing of significance (at least in draining the DC swamp) has happened. They might be winning some smaller skirmishes, but they aren't winning the war, which we've been led to believe is the Q team's ultimate goal. Waiting until after election day to get it done will be too late.

[philman_36]

And just like that (snaps fingers) more people will be driven into the fold.

Pandora's box.
Tell someone not to look inside the box and what is the first thing they do?
They open the box to look inside not realizing that opening the box was the key action, not the action of looking inside the box.

Stupid people at Twitter making stupid decisions...not that I mind.

[EasySt]

Nope. We’re silenced again. Twitter this time.
When it’s complete, they’ll be coming for us.
We’ve been identified. Your turn next.
We tried. Time to batten down the hatches.
( Among the censored150k. )

[Major Matt Mason]

No, it's Q's turn. We voted Trump into office with the expectation that at least some swamp-draining would take place (it can't all be done overnight, obviously). Yet, here we are getting closer to the end of Trump's first (and maybe only) term, and we are still waiting for something of real significance to happen to the DS. Taking down pedophiles is great, I'm all for it, but that will do very little to solve the lawless mess in DC. If they "have it all" as Q claims, it is time to start firing those guns.

[humblegunner]

We’ve been identified. Your turn next.

[EasySt]

You're right, I'm not that important. Just one voice.
You can easily replace me with your considerably
greater reach and influence.

Why, the single tweet I made telling Allen West
to "Bring the Storm" with one of our "for the children"
Memes only made 130,000+ impressions, only got clicked
on 20,000 plus times, liked over 1000 times, and retweeted
over 400 times. (Before they made me invisible.)

I guess we were not really touching any hearts and minds.
We've been yanked out of your way now, so you can go
show us how we should have done it.

The choice to know, and act, was always yours.

~Easy

[humblegunner]

You're right, I'm not that important.

Correct.

You can easily replace me

Why would I want to?

Why, the single tweet I made telling Allen West

Allen West needs you to "tell" him stuff?

I guess we were not really touching any hearts and minds.

Y'all probably touching kids.

We've been yanked out of your way now

Oh thank God, you were a huge impediment to whatever I've been trying to do... that you were impeding.

Yep.

You take yourself too seriously.

[CJ Wolf]

you got the censor?

[CJ Wolf]

Looks like me-too, cool.

[EasySt]

“you got the censor?”

Yup! See here (Near the bottom.)
I’m one of the 150K it seems.

https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3866726/posts?page=1046#1046

[greeneyes]

I think it could be argued that twitter is the Public Square-hence even if private, free speech is required. Also, by this action they seem to have taken on the role of editor/publisher thus their legal exemptions should not longer apply.