Twitter temporarily censored links to StopTheSteal.us, a website coordinating grassroots events in defense of election integrity around the country, particularly in swing states where the results of the election are still disputed. After Breitbart News publicized the blacklisting, Twitter reinstated the links and claimed Stop the Steal “mistakenly” was blocked by the platform’s spam filter.
While the link was blocked, anyone attempting to access the link via Twitter was met with a page warning them that the link is “unsafe.”
Here is how Twitter described the link:
The link you are trying to access has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially spammy or unsafe, in accordance with Twitter’s URL Policy. This link could fall into any of the below categories:
- malicious links that could steal personal information or harm electronic devices
- spammy links that mislead people or disrupt their experience
- violent or misleading content that could lead to real-world harm
- certain categories of content that, if posted directly on Twitter, are a violation of the Twitter Rules
This is the same method of censorship that Twitter used against the New York Post to suppress its bombshell Biden-Ukraine stories in the runup to the election. That censorship was later reversed.
After this article published, a Twitter spokesperson replied to Breitbart Tech’s request for comment, stating: “The URL you referenced was mistakenly caught in a spam filter. This has been reversed.”
The site is promoting a “March for Trump” in Washington D.C. on Saturday, November 14th. Sean Hannity recently promoted the march on Twitter as well.
As public concern mounts over the integrity of the 2020 election process, big tech platforms are making it hard for Americans — including the President of the United States — to discuss potential irregularities in the process, and organize in defense of election integrity.
Just days after the election, Facebook also clamped down on the Stop the Steal movement, shutting down a page with the same name that had accumulated over 300,000 members in the space of 24 hours.
Update — After the publication of this article, Twitter responded to a Breitbart News request for comment on the blacklisting. The platform reversed its ban, with a spokesperson stating: “The URL you referenced was mistakenly caught in a spam filter. This has been reversed.”
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. His new book, #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election, which contains exclusive interviews with sources inside Google, Facebook, and other tech companies, is currently available for purchase.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.