Many of you who know me either in person or through my writings know that I adore Twitter. I’ve repeatedly stated that by light years it’s the most effective medium I’ve ever used from the standpoint of reaching individuals and organizations I very much want to reach. It’s also great for challenging users to express themselves pithily.
So imagine my surprise early this afternoon to have found out that my Twitter account has been “suspended”!
This action could be a simple mistake. (After all, like all the major social media platforms, Twitter deals with huge numbers of users.) But the timing (the day of some major Trump impeachment hearings) does look a little fishy.
Of course, one of the more frustrating aspects of this incident is that there’s no way for me to find out Twitter’s reasoning yet – assuming I was suspended “for cause.” Nor is it possible for me to identify any accusers, either who work for Twitter or not. And I may never find out. It’s also noteworthy that the suspension wasn’t preceded by a warning of any kind. One minute, I was a tweeter in good standing, and the next, sentenced as a bad actor and silenced.
The platform does permit users to appeal suspensions, and the process includes an opportunity for me to plead my case. (I’ve done both.) But apparently it’s up to me to prove my innocence – not the other way around, as is the case with virtually the entire American legal system (the IRS appeals process being a notable exception).
Thanks to the telephone and email, I’ve been able to spread the word to some friends, colleagues, and other contacts, who have begun to question the decision on Twitter and via other media. If anyone reading this would like to do the same, I’d be very grateful.
Nothing I’ve ever tweeted has been any more profane, ad hominem, knowingly false, or otherwise offensive than anything I’ve written here – or anywhere else. And like I said, maybe the software just messed up. But if not, my suspension (however brief or long) would raise some serious questions about how much longer Twitter and other platforms should be permitted, without any regulation or even simple accountability, to play such an increasingly dominant role in the national and global public squares. And yes, I’ll pass on word of any new developments as soon as I get them. (Unless I’m subjected to a gag order???)
If you were knocked off Twitter for political reasons, I think it has been for your trade commentary and not the impeachment stuff.
Alex Jones, who I found uninspiring and bombastic, was knocked off of YouTube long before the impeachment hearings. For all of his many flaws, Jones was a stout anti-globalist and had some common sense on trade and war issues.
It makes you wonder…
In the old days, when the airwaves were considered to be publicly owned, there were provisions for providing equal time.
I’m not inclined to propose more regulations, yet YouTube, Twitter, Google and a few other outfits have become de facto public forums. Surely we can tolerate an Alex Jones on YouTube or a Mr. T on Twitter. It seems like a very small price to pay to preserve free speech.
Free Alan Tonelson!
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Thanks and “time will tell”! BTW, I’ve suggested #FreeAlanTonelson to some of my contacts as a Twitter hashtag!
I wonder whether a bot thatâs looking for foreign-inspired political commentary had vague enough parameters to pull in some of your posts. AI is not good at distinguishing humor or sarcasm from everything else. You may want to look at stuff the Electronic Frontier Foundation (I think I have that name right) has posted on its website related to the issue.
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Thanks! But I gotta tell ya – those parameters must be awfully vague! Also, I didn’t tweet anything especially (intentionally) funny or sarcastic. I did send out 2 tweets about the impeachment hearings, including one about Col Vindman, who’s been attacked for insufficient loyalty to the U.S. But the Vindman tweet was a response to someone accusing him of dual (at best) loyalty. And I countered that my concern about Vindman was that he was a foreign policy traditionalist who was simply upset by Trump’s America First-type approach. I’ve also used the #DeepState hashtag from time to time, but not lately. BTW, off the top of your head, do you think I might have a legal restraint-of-trade case? Twitter’s very important to my efforts to get my messages out (though these efforts make almost no money). I’ll keep you in the loop!
Troubling. I’ve read you on both sides of issues and you seem like a seeker of truth, not an ideologue and surely not a profane or unbalanced man.
More Liberal Big Brother?
Very grateful for your support – especially given our disagreement on some issues! And it could indeed be that some form of Big Brother is at work! I’ll keep everyone posted as I get new info.
Alan, this is shocking! You are such a careful and moderate user of Twitter. Very disturbing. I am so sad to hear this. Indeed, social media platforms are like the use of highways and telephones to modern man, and if people like you can be suspended we are really in trouble.
Thanks very much for the kind words! I hope it’s an innocent mistake, but even if so, the power demonstrated (over me) is indeed disturbing.
it must mean that you are too influential!
Alan,
I am trying to find out what happened. Mickey Kaus alerted everyone.
Many thanks of course! I’m completely baffled. And I’ll let you both know about any further news I hear. In the meantime, I think you’ll find at least some of other material here worth your while!