Controversial Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones Has Twitter Account Reinstated After Public Poll by Elon Musk

Controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, known for his provocative claims and behavior, has had his account on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, reinstated following a public poll conducted by the platform’s owner, Elon Musk.

Banned from Twitter in 2018

In 2018, Jones was banned from Twitter due to violations of the site’s rules regarding abusive behavior. However, the decision to reinstate Jones followed a poll initiated by Musk, asking whether or not Jones should be allowed back on the platform. The poll received close to two million votes, with approximately 70% of participants voting in favor of Jones’s return.

Infamous Conspiracy Theorist

Alex Jones gained notoriety for running InfoWars, a conspiracy theory website, and hosting his own radio show, The Alex Jones Show. He became infamous for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a staged event. As a result, he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in damages to the victims’ families in a defamation lawsuit.

Musk’s Stance on Free Speech

Since Elon Musk took over the social media site in October last year, he has reinstated several controversial figures, including former far-right English Defence League leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) and media personality Katie Hopkins. Musk has declared his mission to champion free speech as the reason behind these reinstatements.

Musk’s Previous Resistance

It is worth noting that Musk had previously resisted calls to bring back Alex Jones, stating, “I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.” This statement came in response to a request in November last year to reinstate Jones, reminding the public of Musk’s personal tragedy of losing a child to sudden infant death syndrome.

Source: the gist.