Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, announced on Sunday that he has reinstated the account of controversial figure Alex Jones.
Jones, the founder of Infowars, was permanently banned from the platform formerly known as Twitter more than five years ago due to violations of its abusive behavior policy, as per Yahoo News.
Elon Musk Reinstates Alex Jones on X
WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT - SEPTEMBER 21: InfoWars founder Alex Jones speaks to the media outside Waterbury Superior Court during his trial on September 21, 2022 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Jones is being sued by several victims' families for causing emotional and psychological harm after they lost their children in the Sandy Hook massacre. A Texas jury last month ordered Jones to pay $49.3 million to the parents of 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, one of 26 students and teachers killed in the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.
Alex Jones, a far-right commentator notorious for promoting the baseless conspiracy theory that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax, made a triumphant return to X on Sunday. Musk revealed that he made the decision to reinstate Jones after conducting an unscientific poll on X the previous day.
"The people have spoken, and so it shall be," Musk wrote, explaining his decision. He acknowledged vehement disagreement with Jones' false claims about the Sandy Hook shooting but emphasized that X prioritizes free speech principles over financial considerations.
The move sparked immediate reactions on the platform, with "Alex Jones" and "He's Back" trending within hours. However, this decision is likely to further alienate advertisers who have already fled the platform due to concerns about hate speech and antisemitism.
Jones and his Infowars site were banned from the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2018 for violating its abusive behavior policy. His false claims about the Sandy Hook shooting led to harassment campaigns against grieving families, resulting in legal consequences. In 2022, Sandy Hook relatives were awarded nearly $1.5 billion in judgments against Jones in defamation lawsuits, according to The Independent.
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Elon Musk's X Controversies
Elon Musk's tenure at the company formerly known as Twitter has been marked by controversial decisions, including the reinstatement of previously banned accounts linked to neo-Nazis and the relaxation of rules against the spread of misinformation. Musk's recent decision to reinstate Jones' account may intensify concerns among top advertisers who left the platform.
Despite the challenges faced by X under Musk's ownership, including a significant drop in company value, Musk is actively working on new ventures. He aims to raise $1 billion for an artificial intelligence startup, xAI, and plans to leverage real-time data from X to compete with established AI platforms.
The decision to restore Alex Jones' account comes just days before the 11th anniversary of the tragic Sandy Hook shooting, which claimed the lives of 20 first-grade students and six teachers. The move raises questions about the platform's commitment to combating hate speech and misinformation in the face of financial pressures and controversies.
Elon Musk's assertion that "the people have spoken" refers to a poll on X where close to 2 million votes were cast, with approximately 70% in favor of reinstating Alex Jones' account. Reuters could not immediately verify whether the account was restored early on Sunday. Musk's ownership of X has seen the reinstatement of other suspended accounts, including that of Former President Donald Trump, The Guardian reported.
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