Many Twitter users are vowing to leave the platform after President Donald J. Trump was permanently banned from using the service Friday evening.
“Twitter bans Trump, but won’t check communist Chinese propaganda defending brainwashing & forced sterilizations of minorities,” the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans said, adding the hashtag #twexit.
Twitter bans Trump, but won't check communist Chinese propaganda defending brainwashing & forced sterilizations of minorities. #twexit https://t.co/kivpRmZyyr
— Georgia Log Cabin (@GeorgiaLogCabin) January 8, 2021
The same group asked its supporters to follow them on Parler, a site similar to Twitter, hours later.
“Join the 45,000+ people who already follow us on Parler!” they said, also adding the #twexit hashtag.
Join the 45,000+ people who already follow us on Parler! #twexit https://t.co/QLQSCOlswz
— Georgia Log Cabin (@GeorgiaLogCabin) January 7, 2021
Twitter released a statement Friday evening about Trump’s ban on its official blog.
“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” the statement said, referring to the Wednesday protests at the Capitol building, for which many blamed Trump.
The ban came about 24 hours after Trump released a video condemning those protests and ensuring the public that there will be an orderly transition of power on January 20.
Many conservatives tweeting the #twexit hashtag are discussing alternatives to Twitter. Along with Parler, Gab has similar functionality to the micro-blogging giant.
“I made a Gab account, same @ as here. Drop your handles! And if there are any big or important accounts on there you suggest I follow, feel free to drop them too #Twexit,” a Twitter user called JenUSA90 said.
I made a Gab account, same @ as here. Drop your handles! And if there are any big or important accounts on there you suggest I follow, feel free to drop them too #Twexit
— Jenna 🦅🇺🇸 (@JenUSA90) January 9, 2021
But the Twitter alternatives face challenges of their own.
Gab, which first launched in 2016 after Twitter banned several high profile conservatives, has itself been banned from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, meaning that it can only be accessed from a web browser, and not downloaded as an application to a smartphone.
After Trump was banned from Twitter Friday night, the emboldened leftist mob demanded that Parler be banned from the App Store and the Play Store, too, anticipating that Trump would move to that platform. Google immediately caved, banning Parler. Apple has not yet banned Parler, but reportedly gave the company a 24-hour notice to change its content moderation policies, or risk being banned.
Censorship by Silicon Valley tech titans has been a much-discussed topic over the past few years, as allegations of anti-conservative bias have been levied against companies like Twitter and Facebook.
In a November executive order, Trump directed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to clarify protections afforded to social media companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides those companies the ability to censor content at will.
“Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube wield immense, if not unprecedented, power to shape the interpretation of public events; to censor, delete, or disappear information; and to control what people see or do not see,” Trump said in the order.
“As President, I have made clear my commitment to free and open debate on the internet. Such debate is just as important online as it is in our universities, our town halls, and our homes. Â It is essential to sustaining our democracy.”
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
The federal government gave Big Tech the protection they enjoy as they work to destroy competition.
We are in for a tought two years.
It’s very simple. If you are still on Twitter or Facebook, both of which are nothing but entertainment then you can’t complain. You can’t complain about the election, the bans from social media, the censorship etc.
The problem is people won’t sacrifice their conveniences and entertainment to actually help force meaningful change. Too many people think posting a comment at the end of an article or expressing outrage somehow means they are “involved”.
If people kept rejecting the tech giants their stocks will plummet and they will lose their influence. But people are not willing to be inconvenienced anymore. How many cops are dead because of the war against cops that was fostered by the kneeling during NFL games.
Conservatives came out against it outraged and demanding it stop. Then they tuned in to the game. It doesn’t work like that. Hypocrisy at it’s finest. Once again our entertainment and leisure has become our Gods.
Everyone knows it that’s why the tech companies have decided that they will draw the lines that we will comply with or we cannot participate. And we give in immediately. That’s why this Country is finished. There are no true patriots anymore.
Patriot
“a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors”.
You have to meet both parts of the definition to be a patriot and defending it doesn’t always mean fighting. Sometimes it means protest so there doesn’t need to be fighting yet we sit back assuming or hoping someone else will do the work because we need to keep tabs on the grandkids.
That’s great. You can stay updated on the pictures of them waiting in bread lines. Well done. Self centered is what we are. Our Forefathers would not only be ashamed but likely feel their sacrifices and work was ultimately in vain.
We should be proud that we were the generation that watched the foundations of our nation being taken apart and we sat on our hands because we couldn’t miss this weeks episode of dancing with the stars.
Amazing the anti-competitive and anti-trust behavior openly on display.
this should be the real revolution. destroy these jerks and make the paupers.
Actually the GAB App is directly available from the GAB website, so you can get it without needing the App Stores
Get on GAB the only truly free speech social available…they are great
Knew there was a reason for steadfastly refusing to be part of Twitter or Facebook.