Republican activist and political candidate Laura Loomer ambushed Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey at a conference on Bitcoin in Miami this weekend, confronting him on the issue of his platform’s widespread political censorship and election interference.
Dorsey is an advocate of Bitcoin and other decentralized forms of digital currency, but Loomer argued that his reckless use of Twitter’s centralized power for political purposes undermined his advocacy for the decentralized economy.
Shouting at Dorsey from amidst the crowd, Loomer asked “How can you say that this is a currency for everyone in the world when you are the king of censorship?”
“Bitcoin is about decentralization, and you have no right to be here today speaking about this.”
Loomer accused Twitter of engaging in human rights violations and election interference.
Laura Loomer heckles Jack Dorsey for censoring people with whom he disagrees. @jack https://t.co/NjbTCPqms6
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) June 6, 2021
Twitter itself recently appeared to suggest that access to the platform should be considered a human right, after the government of Nigeria blocked access to it throughout the country.
We are deeply concerned by the blocking of Twitter in Nigeria. Access to the free and #OpenInternet is an essential human right in modern society.
We will work to restore access for all those in Nigeria who rely on Twitter to communicate and connect with the world. #KeepitOn
— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) June 5, 2021
Loomer ran as the official GOP candidate in the race for Florida’s 21st congressional district in 2020, losing to incumbent Democrat Rep. Lois Frankel. Loomer recently filed to run for the same seat in 2022.
Banned from most major social media platforms (including Twitter), Loomer’s candidacy will be a key test for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent law prohibiting social media companies from banning political candidates in elections.
The bill as passed lacks common carrier or public accommodation provisions, which critics say are necessary to truly curtail Big Tech’s political censorship.
However, it does clearly prohibit social media companies from banning political candidates, imposing daily fines on companies until such candidates are reinstated.
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.