Twitter Reverses Course, Unlocks Team Mitch Account
[guest post by Dana]
As you recall, Team Mitch was locked out of their Twitter account on Wednesday, and told it would be unlocked when they removed a video that Twitter claimed violated the company’s “abusive behavior policy”.
Here is the original video that caused the suspension, now restored to the account (NSFW):
Last night, an angry left-wing mob of Amy McGrath supporters stormed Senator McConnell’s Louisville home screaming obscenities and hoping someone would ‘just stab the motherfucker in the heart.’ pic.twitter.com/Ygo1mbQSk5
— Team Mitch (@Team_Mitch) August 6, 2019
Today, Twitter unlocked the account:
“Several Twitter users, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign account, were temporarily locked out of their accounts for Tweeting a video that violated our abusive behavior policy. The video contained a violent threat directed at Leader McConnell, a clear violation of the Twitter Rules,” Twitter’s communications team said.
“After multiple appeals from affected users and Leader McConnell’s team confirming their intent to highlight the threats for public discussion, we have reviewed this case more closely,” they added. “Going forward, the video will be visible on the service with a sensitive media interstitial and only in cases where the Tweet content does not otherwise violate the Twitter Rules.”
It’s not difficult to see why Twitter has reversed course:
Republicans on Thursday launched a widespread boycott of ad spending on Twitter TWTR, -1.05% until the social media giant unlocks Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign Twitter account.
President Trump’s re-election campaign, the Republican National Committee, the House and Senate GOP campaign arms and the Senate Leadership Fund all announced a suspension of ad spending, citing anti-conservative bias.
Depending on how long the boycott lasts, hundreds of thousands of ad dollars on Twitter could be at stake.
Trump’s re-election campaign alone had forecast between $300,000 and $500,000 in Twitter spending for August, the campaign told The Post.
Team Mitch responded to the good news:
In a statement Friday afternoon, Golden said, “We are glad Twitter has reversed their decision to lock our Team Mitch account. It is still deeply concerning that Twitter would ban us from posting a video of threats made against us but allow Liberal Hollywood celebrities to post exactly what we did without suffering the same penalty.”
He added, “It shouldn’t have taken an avalanche of outrage across the country to stop Silicon Valley from launching an effort to silence conservatives like the Majority Leader of the United States Senate in the first place. We look forward to learning more about what steps Twitter will take to ensure that this egregious suppression campaign never happens again.”
–Dana
Heh.
Dana (fdf131) — 8/9/2019 @ 2:58 pmNot really sure why McConnell is forcing Twitter, a private company, to bow to his demands. This smacks of socialism! Freedom Bro.
I look forward to David French’s “The Conservative Case for letting Twitter censor the Senate Majority leader”.
rcocean (1a839e) — 8/9/2019 @ 4:47 pmI don’t know how people can know how to write without knowing how to read. McConnell neither exercised not threatened government action to get Twitter to unlock his account. The GOP exercised their free market option not to pay to advertise on Twitter. It’s right there in the post.
nk (dbc370) — 8/9/2019 @ 4:55 pmRcocean,
You certainly seem to have a problem with David French these days. With that, I please read the posts and give them a little thought instead of just having a knee-jerk reaction. Maybe then we could have a fruitful discussion.
Dana (fdf131) — 8/9/2019 @ 5:10 pmWe get knee jerk attacks on Trump 24/7 both here – IN THE COMMENT SECTION – and in the news media. No comment on any topic seems complete without a sly or not so sly dig at Trump. but if I hit David French a few times, you get upset.
No problem. I’ll just skip your posts from now on. Every one seems to result in you getting in the comment thread and having some issue with someone. I don’t need the drama.
rcocean (1a839e) — 8/10/2019 @ 8:13 amrcocean,
First, I am not upset. That is an incorrect assessment.
Second, I don’t see knee-jerk reactions about Trump here 24/7. I see a few, and I also see criticisms and critiques of of what he says and does. Are we not allowed to do that with this president, in spite of doing it with every other president?
Third, I really don’t know why you are hitting French these days. You haven’t explained the “whys,” therefore I can’t know for sure. I see him as fairly even-handed and thoughtful in his analysis of various issues. Apparently you don’t.
Fourth, you made the statement that McConnell forced Twitter to bow to his demands. Nowhere in the post did I say that, nor did anyone I quoted say that either. Because you said that McConnell had done something he hadn’t, I asked you to read the post and consider it before incorrectly restating it.
Of course you are free to skip my posts. They’re not great, and if they upset you, then do so. They’re not worth getting upset over. None of this is. With that, I’m unclear on your “everyone seems to result in you getting in the comment thread and having some issue with someone” comment. Can you explain what you mean by this?
Dana (fdf131) — 8/10/2019 @ 10:28 amPS, Ironically, I didn’t even mention Trump in the post or comments section. You brought him up.
Dana (fdf131) — 8/10/2019 @ 10:34 amrcocean,
Feel free to skip my posts too. You can even skip the whole blog.
Patterico (e66a17) — 8/10/2019 @ 2:50 pmFeel free to skip my posts too. You can even skip the whole blog.
But then who would be left to make the “David French is writing ‘The Conservative Case for ______'” joke on every single damn post?
JVW (54fd0b) — 8/10/2019 @ 3:24 pmIt’s like Trump brings out the worst in everyone. Why not look for positivity?
I’m glad Twitter loosened up on this. I think that the awful lack of civility is a problem—-when it is applied differentially. I have never been able to get it: there are lots of politicians I *really* don’t want in power, but they aren’t evil. Just wrong.
Simon Jester (895c8f) — 8/10/2019 @ 4:00 pm