Twitter has continued its ever-widening censorship of social media this week with the suspension of the popular site, The @LibsofTikTok. What is interesting about this latest move is that it lacks even the pretense of neutrality. The liberal group Media Matters had targeted the site due to its use by Fox News and conservatives to run embarrassing stories for the left. So Twitter suspended a site that entirely features liberals talking about themselves.
Twitter suspended the site for “hateful conduct.” It warned the site “You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.”
However, the site highlights liberals speaking about themselves and their values in their own voices. There is no explanation, which is common for the company. It simply suspended the site and told it to reform itself.
Formed in November 2020, the “Libs of Tik Tok” account has more than 613,000 followers on Twitter and has become a major feeder for conservative new sites. Clearly, if the site changes videos or misrepresents what was said, it can be sued for defamation or false light. However, the primary objections online is that the site fuels criticism of the left.
The success of the site drew the familiar crowd demanding the silencing of opposing voices or groups.
Notably, the liberal Media Matters stressed that the site had simply become too successful. Sophie Lawton described the reposting of liberal voices as “targeting teachers and schools with anti-LGBTQ smears.” She described that the site was growing in influence as the basis for stories by Fox, Joe Rogan, Meghan McCain and others. However, all she describes is the use of tapes of liberal subjects talking about themselves and objects that “the Libs of TikTok content has become ammunition for their arguments.”
That was apparently enough for Twitter, which defined reposting liberals to be a form of hateful conduct.
The action seems consistent with the chillingly anti-free speech agenda of Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal. In an interview with Technology Review editor-in-chief Gideon Lichfield, he was asked how Twitter would balance its efforts to combat misinformation with wanting to “protect free speech as a core value” and to respect the First Amendment. Agrawal responded:
“Our role is not to be bound by the First Amendment, but our role is to serve a healthy public conversation and our moves are reflective of things that we believe lead to a healthier public conversation. The kinds of things that we do about this is, focus less on thinking about free speech, but thinking about how the times have changed.
One of the changes today that we see is speech is easy on the internet. Most people can speak. Where our role is particularly emphasized is who can be heard. The scarce commodity today is attention. There’s a lot of content out there. A lot of tweets out there, not all of it gets attention, some subset of it gets attention.”
Twitter seems to have followed Agrawal’s lead. It is not just thinking less about free speech. It is not thinking of it at all. Libs of TikTok was getting too much attention so it suspended it without further explanation.
Notably, there are many sites that watch and repost videos of evangelical ministers and conservative figures for use on liberal sites. That includes “Right Wing Watch” run by the liberal People for the American Way. It is all free speech. However, Twitter is now in the business of shaping viewpoints and values. It has, according to its CEO, simply moved beyond free speech.
Given such actions, it is understandable why Twitter employees are reportedly not just in a panic over Elon Musk buying the company (and reintroducing free speech principles) but even requiring emotional support to just “get through the week.”
That is the problem with free speech. Just when you think that you have moved beyond it, it just comes back. For corporate censors, it is a perfect nightmare.
Wow -someone must have said or done something logical, bast on facts/evidence/proof because social media, like trash mainstream media, hollywood etc.. are all liberals & its generally them infringing on free speech rights of rational, free thinking, logical people who use facts & proof!
So someone in ‘libs’ must’ve taken meds or looked around them at state of country or read some facts to get banned!
Guaranteed theirs a ton of ridiculous comments about how ‘liberals are always silenced’ & the like because its so insanely false & everything liberals say & do is just wrong, stupid, blatant hypocrisy, & made up narratives.
Turns out that Chaya Raichik, who owns the “Libs of Tik Tok” Twitter account, “claims to have participated in the January 6 insurrection” — https://twitter.com/travisbrown/status/1515329630756122626
What a surprise.
A bit more background: https://web.archive.org/web/20220419104753/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/04/19/libs-of-tiktok-right-wing-media/
How odd that Twitter shuts down liberals talking about themselves in their own voices, on the same day Elon Musk puts in his bid to take 100% ownership of Twitter, Musk being the free speech absolutist. Mr. Agrawal may not be much longer in his top job at the Twitter Corporation.
And now, for something different . . .
Scientists Warn Of Rapidly Spreading ‘Musk Derangement Syndrome’
https://babylonbee.com/news/scientists-warn-of-rapidly-spreading-musk-derangement-syndrome
(Note, that is satire)
Nothing frightens progressives more than inconvenient reality.
Why is there no one in the White House press corps loudly calling for Jen Psaki to resign immediately? She should be investigated for her obvious ethics breach. If she had any integrity she would step down now, not when her MSNBC show is ready for her. She is one of the worst press secretaries ever.
Professor Turley Writes:
“The site highlights liberals speaking about themselves and their values in their own voices”.
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Would Professor Turley make this statement in court? It presumes a great deal without little to no evidence.
How do we know people portrayed @LibsofTicToc are genuine political liberals? Have background checks been conducted to determine they support ‘X’ number of liberal positions? ..Probably not..! Viewers just assume these people are liberals based on looks and perceived sexuality. That’s not scientific by academic standards. As an academic, Turley should know.
A young woman with pierced nostrils and short hair may look like a Lesbian to evangelicals in the south. But the young woman could be someone indifferent to politics. She may not know or care about issues in the news. She may not vote in any elections. To assume she represents liberals is just an assumption and nothing more.
Johnathan Turley is kidding himself if he thinks ‘no conservatives are gay’. Many Republican politicians have been caught up in gay-related scandals. During the Reagan era, a GOP congressman from Maryland was caught performing anilingus on a male prostitute. More recently a GOP Senator from Idaho was arrested for lewd conduct in a mens room at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.
Here, on these comment threads, our ultra conservative Blog Stooge is overtly gay to anyone paying attention. Several times per week The Stooge posts gay-themed videos from his own library. If we had videos of the Blog Stooge talking about himself he would, no doubt, come across as a creepy loser. So anyone who says, “Trumpers can’t be gay” is basically a cretin.
“Johnathan Turley is kidding himself if he thinks ‘no conservatives are gay’.”
Where does he say that?
“Where does he say that?”
Sam, you beat me to it. ATS creates long posts that say nothing but contain statements that aren’t true. He has to delude himself for him to feel relevant on the blog. That is a sign of innermost failure.
Please stop calling this sort of thing “censorship.” That term is passé and has evil associations with Nazis and Communists. The new term as approved by Globalist Authorities for these activities and practiced by woke corporations—the good guys—is “content moderation.” Please use it. Thanks.
Basically, Twitter suspended LibsofTikTok, like many others, for providing facts embarrassing to the Democrat Party.
Forget Transgenders! What About ‘Furries’??!!
Rumors That Children Can Identify As Animals Gains Alarming Traction On Rightwing Media
CLAIM: The Waunakee Community School District in a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, has a “furry protocol” that allows students who identify as “furries” to opt out of speaking in class, sit and lick their paws during gym class and bark and growl in hallways.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The district does not have a protocol for students who identify as animals, and it does not allow disruptions at school, according to Superintendent Randy Guttenberg.
THE FACTS: A baseless rumor that students who dress up as animals are getting special treatment in a Wisconsin school district is circulating widely online this week after a conservative radio host said she’d received an email about the issue last month.
Vicki McKenna, who hosts a show on a Madison AM radio station, said on a March 17 podcast that a she received an email from a grandparent of students in the Waunakee Community School District saying the students were being told to “normalize” the behavior of classmates who preferred to dress and act like animals.
“The Furries can choose whether they want to speak in class or not,” read part of the purported email, shared onscreen in a video version of the podcast hosted by a University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, professor. “The Furrys are allowed to dress in their choice of furry costumes. The Furries can choose not to run in gym class but instead sit at the feet of their teacher and lick their paws. Barking hissing and similar animal noises are commonplace in the hallways at the schools.”
The claim is completely false, according to Guttenberg, who clarified in an email to The Associated Press that “the Waunakee Community School District does not have protocols for Furries, nor do we allow disruptions in our school and classrooms.”
McKenna did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The bogus claim comes as lawmakers and political candidates have shared similar misinformation about student “furries” in Michigan, Nebraska and other Wisconsin school districts amid the culture wars and legislative action involving gender identification in schools.
Edited From:
https://madison.com/news/local/education/local_schools/fact-check-waunakee-students-identifying-as-animals-dont-get-special-treatment/article_62d9724b-b932-5661-b9f0-1d10f4123a6b.html
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In a normal America absurd rumors like this would only play as an April Fool’s joke. Yet the host of an AM Talk Radio show in Madison Wisconsin actually promoted this rumor as genuine news. And that particular mention was ‘not’ an isolated instance. The ‘Furries’ rumor has been bouncing all around the Midwest enabled by the QAnonization of rightwing media.
Anon,
I am not sure which Anon you are. But maybe the reason this is getting so much traction is not because of the QAnonization of right wing media. Maybe liberal lunacy.
When I first read about the USA Today giving Rachel Levine The Woman of the Year award I thought it was from the Babylon Bee. Today on the Left, anything goes. I don’t care what any adult wears, what surgeries they have, who they sleep with but if you have a male appendage you are a MAN.
I was told we have to always believe the science. Well, biology is a science. if you have XY chromosomes you are male. XX female. I know there are hermaphrodites. That is 1.7% of the population.
I am also supposed to believe that this rampant inflation is Putin’s fault. I give more plausibility to ” furries” than I do to that bull**it.
It is all legit.
We recently had dinner at a Cracker Barrel outside DC where the waitress was beyond weird. She was disheveled, young, slightly manic and alas wearing a bear pin. When we asked her about it, she said it was her furry; she was wearing her “spirit animal”. Curious, I took the plunge and was stunned at what she shared. Suffice to say we did not want her near our children.
https://www.spiritanimal.info/bear-spirit-animal/
Bear Spirit Animal
In the kingdom of spirit animals, the bear is emblematic of grounding forces and strength. This animal has been worshiped throughout time as a powerful totem, inspiring those who need it the courage to stand up against adversity. As a spirit animal in touch with the earth and the cycles of nature, it is a powerful guide to support physical and emotional healing.
Bear Meaning
The bear has several meanings that will inspire those who have this animal as totem:
The primary meaning of the bear spirit animal is strength and confidence
Standing against adversity; taking action and leadership
The spirit of the the bear indicates it’s time for healing or using healing abilities to help self or others
The bear medicine emphasizes the importance of solitude, quiet time, rest
The spirit of the bear provides strong grounding forces
Hey Anonymous, you should be exited about this story. You can say you are what ever you say you are and no one can say other wise. Im a Pterodactyl crawling for your love and everyone should respect my right to say I am a Pterodactyl.
Forget Transgenders! What About ‘Furries’
Richard Gere is that you?
***
Gerbilling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gerbils are the most common rodents to be allegedly inserted.
Gerbilling, also known as gerbil stuffing or gerbil shooting, is a sexual practice of inserting small live animals (usually gerbils but also mice, hamsters, rats and various other rodents) into the human rectum to obtain stimulation. Some variations of reports suggest that the rodent be covered in a psychoactive substance such as heroin prior to being inserted. Yet there are few documents on how this was achieved or enjoyed as all rodents have long nails and teeth for digging or burrowing and naturally try to burrow out of any small spaces
People should be able to identify as Cleopatra, and demand return of the upper and lower kingdoms of Egypt. We should have to curtsy to all those who think they are the Queen of England.
Since my gender appears to have been reduced to a state of mind, then people everywhere should have the right to demand everyone address them, and view them, as they see themselves. That includes those who identify as a different race, so Rachel Dolezal should get her job back.
You can laugh about the Furry rumor, but there actually is a type of dysphoria in which people really believe they are dogs. Some engage in harmless cosplay, but others require friends to treat them exactly like they are a dog, including walking them on a leash.
There are those who believe they are werewolves, vampires, dragons, or the reincarnation of famous figures.
One of the (many) things I find troubling about the transgender movement is that it appears to rely upon stereotypes that women have fought for years to break. We got to the point where girls could play with chemistry or engineering toys, and didn’t have to be pressured to play with dolls. They didn’t have to wear girly clothes. We went into sciences and math, and although statistically more men chose that route than women, nothing stopped us from following our own talents. Women could work out at the gym and get strong and fit, or take ballroom dancing. We took martial arts, knitting, and cooking classes. Whatever we wanted, we did.
Now, a boy who likes stereotypical girl things gets pressured to change his sex, and vice versa. Transgenderism carries a high risk for surgical and chemical sterilization, and a high risk of suicide. That’s a BAD thing, and will probably be considered horrifying to future generations. Sex reassignment surgery does not create a functioning female reproductive tract, but rather a permanent wound, made from skin that was never meant to be internal. The cavity gets infected often, and requires specialized care, forever. These people are going to require skilled nursing if they manage to reach old age. There are many transgender who have said they feel suicidal because that body cavity is not a woman’s vagina. They realized they’ve made a permanent mess of themselves and can never get their healthy body back. This is sad. Many, including me, consider the pressure and affirming actions that put a lot more kids on the path of gender dysphoria than ever occurred before to be a form of child abuse.
I known. It’s a pandemic… Democrats believe Joe Biden is president.
“Twitter Adopts Poison Pill Plan to Block Elon Musk From Increasing Stake”
“Twitter Inc. TWTR -1.68% ▼ moved to prevent Elon Musk from significantly increasing his stake the day after he made a $43 billion unsolicited takeover bid for the social-media company. The company on Friday adopted a so-called poison pill that makes it difficult for him to increase his stake beyond 15%. The billionaire founder of Tesla Inc. TSLA -3.66% ▼ already owns a more than 9% stake that he revealed earlier this month”
– WSJ
Translation: they are fanatics about censoring Americans. Shock!
/ sarc
There isn’t one social media site in America that left wing communists haven’t smarmed to go after conservatives. Wait till they come to your home in mass with their little red book and destroy what you earned and built like Madam Mao’s wife and her gang of 8 did.
The commiecrats won’t be satisfied until we are a reflection of China’s values.
Why they keep saying Russia Russia Russia whem the real movement is the Democrats toward Chinese communist rule and people can’t see that is beyond me.
I’m guessing half of America is about as bright as Joe OBiden is…..
Circling back to thank the Professor. A great many of us are grateful you provide this space. I think it may be one of the last honest places left on the WWW. in America.
Oh, and still a real person, BTW, ‘Anonynous’. A real person that has been with the web since 1996. Sir Tim Berners-Lee had no idea what he was about to unleash. The better part of valor. . . . Thank you, Professor Turley. In this age of digital discourse, you are a hero.
Dang the typos. Hopefully we can forgive one another for mobile-era transgressions. Thanks, Prof.
Its been said that Musk made a comment about a ‘plan B’.
If Musk walks away… Twitter will start to fall apart.
If Musk builds a competing platform… Twitter will collapse and the class action lawyers will start to circle their wreckage.
Musk already has the talent in-house to build a competing platform and have it up and running within 6 months or less.
Unlike the other startups who tried and got quashed… He’s already got the infrastructure and has the critical mass to pull from Twitter, Trump, etc … to build that quasi Town Square.
Its really a question of his business model and how much revenue / profit does he want to make off the endeavor.
I am greatly appreciative of the fact that Musk is challenging Twitter to clean up its act.
Possibly the biggest reason he will NOT likely succeed in buying Twitter is that twitter reverting to meaningful free speech would require the rest ofctive
social media to follow soon enougn.
That is also why even the SEC is threatening to interfere with Musk’s purchase of twitter.
That said – there is no “Plan B” that will be nearly as fast or effective.
Absolutely Musk could bring up a new platform. He has a track record of impossible success – he is not going to fail at social media.
But that is still not nearly as easy, fast or effective as buying twitter now.
This also highlights the rules of corporate governance. Twitter is actually OBLIGATED to accept his offer unless there is a better one outstanding, or they beleive their shares will quickly reach the price of his offer.
For much of US history it was an involuable fiduciary duty for the board of directors to look after the fiduciary interests fo shareholders first last and always.
But Twitter is near certain to say no.
“But Twitter is near certain to say no.”
If that happens and the stock price falls, then there might be a class action by Twitter owners and even a suit against the board members personally if they went against Twitter’s charter or federal law.