Twitter CEO Defends Decision Not to Ban Alex Jones, Infowars

Advertisement
By Associated Press | Updated: 8 August 2018 16:31 IST

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended his company's decision not to ban right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars show, saying he did not break any rules.

Dorsey's remarks, in a series of tweets late Tuesday, came after other major tech companies removed Jones' content for violating hate speech policies.

"We didn't suspend Alex Jones or Infowars yesterday," Dorsey said. "We know that's hard for many but the reason is simple: he hasn't violated our rules. We'll enforce if he does."

Advertisement

Dorsey was responding after Facebook, Apple, YouTube, and Spotify took down material over the past week published by Jones, reflecting more aggressive enforcement of their hate speech policies and raising pressure on Twitter to do the same. Jones's Facebook account has also been suspended for 30 days but he still has a "verified" Twitter account. A separate Twitter account for Infowars is also still running.

Advertisement

"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," Dorsey said.

Dorsey said he wanted Twitter to avoid succumbing to outside pressure but instead impartially enforce straightforward principles "regardless of political viewpoints."

Advertisement

Jones, who has 858,000 followers on Twitter, has built up his profile while promulgating conspiracy theories. His claims include that the 9/11 terror attacks were actually carried out by the government and that the 2012 Sandy Hook mass school shooting, which left 20 children and six adults dead, was a hoax.

Dorsey said that it's the responsibility of journalists to "document, validate, and refute" rumours and sensationalised issues spread by accounts like Jones's so "people can form their own opinions."

 

Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.

Further reading: Twitter, Jack Dorsey
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2026: iQOO Smartphone Deals Revealed
  2. These OnePlus, Samsung Phones Will Be on Sale During Amazon's Next Sale
  3. Vivo Y500i With a 7,200mAh Battery, 50-Megapixel Camera Launched
  4. Apple AirPods Pro 3 Review: The New Gold Standard
  5. Google's New UCP Protocol Will Enable Direct Purchases Within Google Search
  6. Disney+ to Launch Vertical Video Feed to Rival TikTok, YouTube Shorts
  7. Google Adds AI-Powered 'Business Agent' Feature to Search for Shoppers
  1. Redmi Turbo 5 Pro Max Likely to Launch With MediaTek Dimensity 9500s Chipset, 16GB of RAM: Report
  2. Grok Banned in Indonesia and Malaysia Following Deepfake Image Concerns
  3. Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2026: Discounts on OnePlus 15, Samsung Galaxy A55 and More Smartphones Revealed
  4. Govt Calls Demand for Smartphone OS Source Code Fake, Says Consulting Stakeholders
  5. Disney+ to Launch Vertical Video Feed to Rival TikTok, YouTube Shorts
  6. Google Brings Business Agent AI Shopping Tool to Search Alongside New Checkout, Ad Features
  7. Larian Studios Says It Won't Use Generative AI to Create Divinity Concept Art
  8. Vivo Y500i Launched With 7,200mAh Battery, 50-Megapixel Rear Camera: Price, Specifications
  9. Google Launches UCP Protocol Designed to Enable Direct Purchases Within Google Search
  10. Google Maps Audio Navigation Problems Could Affect Driver Safety, Make Navigation Confusing: Report
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.