ANAHEIM CA – JUNE 3: Kanye West is on stage at Honda’s Power 106 Powerhouse. Center, Anaheim, California on June 3, 2016. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/FilmMagic).
FilmMagic
Kanye West’s Twitter account was blocked for posting an anti-Semitic comment. He had previously had his Instagram account closed.
West (now known as “Ye”) had tweeted that he was going to “death con 3″. [sic] On JEWISH PEOPLE” – apparently confused over the spelling of the military term “DEFCON” – while adding, “The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”
CNN was informed Monday by Twitter that West’s Twitter account had been locked due to Twitter policies violations. This tweet was removed from the account and replaced with a message by the company saying, “This Tweet Violates the Twitter Rules”.
Although the social media site did not say which policies were violated, it stated that its guidelines prohibit hateful content. Twitter did not confirm when West could resume tweeting or for how long. Twitter has placed West in “timeout”, days after Meta’s Instagram had also banned West’s account due to violating its terms.
West was almost unbearably silent in this matter.
The “Good Company”
West is certainly not the first celebrity to face a Twitter ban – and by most accounts, it would seem that Courtney Love, who had been sued for tweets made in 2009, may have the dubious distinction of being the first A-lister to face a suspension. Although she was initially banned from Twitter in January 2011, her account was reinstated.
Azealia banks, Milo Yiannopoulos and Alex Jones from alt-right radio station host Alex Jones are just a couple of celebrities to have had their Twitter accounts banned.
However, Elon Musk may sell the platform, which would allow for more freedom in terms of what can be posted. Musk is a total freedom-speech absolutist and could change Twitter to allow for more free speech.
Should that be the case, West/Ye could become one of the last celebrities – even the final celebrity – to face such a ban or other time out.
Scott Steinberg, a social media expert and brand media consultant said that it was plausible. “Musk often says things that can be controversial.
Musk posted his thoughts via Twitter in the past week on the way the war in Ukraine can be solved. Musk also suggested Taiwan could reunite with China in certain circumstances. While both ideas received mixed reaction, comments weren’t as extreme as the ones made.
Musk could make it even more crazy.
Steinberg warned that celebrities could be given an opportunity to speak freely, regardless of how far-fetched or leftist they may appear.
Timeouts are necessary
Steinberg suggested that a suspension or “timeout”, in many cases, can be used to kill off controversial conversations.
“A lot of public figures could profit from such a break,” he said. It is important to grasp the importance of understanding what words mean. While free speech is something to be encouraged, there are many situations where it’s better for everyone not to say as much. It is necessary to be forced into someone else’s shoes before making statements that could offend other people.
The post Kanye West Isn’t The First Celebrity To Be Silenced On Twitter – If Musk Takes Control Of The Service Ye Could Be The Last appeared first on Social Media Explorer.
