The Libertarian Party of Colorado was banned from the popular social messaging site Twitter on Thursday for posting several examples of content violating the site’s ” violent speech” policy.
A screenshot of the banning shows several links to images as the reason behind the ban. However, exactly what graphics from the account merited the ban has yet to be determined, as only the first part of the HTML link is visible. The ban also appeared to give no obvious way to contest the decision, leaving the Libertarian Party of Colorado with little room for recourse.
Since February 2023, Twitter has implemented an updated “violent speech” policy to address specific forms of speech on its platform, prioritizing user safety and preventing normalizing harmful actions. The social media giant has a zero-tolerance approach towards various forms of violence, including making threats, expressing desires for harm, inciting violence, and glorifying violent acts or entities. This policy also extends to coded language and the glorification of animal abuse.
Elon Musk, who acquired the popular social media site early last year, is frequently heralded as a free speech advocate, speaking out on its importance numerous times. However, the recent ban has left many libertarians chaffed with the site for what they see as an inconsistent approach. Response from Libertarians and their supporters on social media, especially those directly involved with the organization, has been largely critical.
“Okay what the actual hell @elonmusk? Your company summarily permanently suspends a POLITICAL PARTY’S account?,” wrote the current Libertarian National Committee secretary and member of the Libertarian Party of Colorado affiliate. “They were not even shown what tweet was in violation and were given NO prior warnings and not given the opportunity to cure (perhaps they did mess up)? Suspending a POLITICAL PARTY is a huge fucking deal. Please work with them.”
Several libertarian personalities have also spoken out on the issue. Spike Cohen, the Libertarian Party’s 2020 vice presidential nominee, tweeted later that day, asking Musk to investigate the situation. “A Twitter account for a political party, @LPCO, was suspended for “violent speech”, and is not being told which tweets offended Twitter rules so that they can rectify it,” Cohen wrote. “@elonmusk can you look into this?”
The official Libertarian Party Twitter account additionally amplified Cohen’s words.
The Libertarian Party of Colorado attempted to appeal the ban but was denied on Friday afternoon. In line with the decision, the Twitter support team affirmed the correctness of the ban and confirmed that the account would not be reinstated.
An archived screenshot of the Libertarian Party of Colorado’s Twitter account several weeks prior to its ban shows them as having just under 16,000 followers. The Libertarian Party of Colorado has not yet released a response to the banning on its other properties.
I haven’t run across a comparable suspension since Musk took over Twitter. It’s been a minute since I followed Mises Party drama, but did the radical ancap LPCO really get banhammered before the alt-lite shock jocks in LPNH? No one has any idea which tweets the notification might be referring to?
“Okay what the actual hell @elonmusk? Your company summarily permanently suspends a POLITICAL PARTY’S account?,”
Banning a political party’s account is not new, and didn’t originate with Musk.
Social media has been banning white nationalist parties’ accounts (mostly in Europe) for many years now. I think some Islamist parties’ accounts have also been banned.
Overall Musk improved Twitter. Before only far left speech was accepted. There’s still work to do, as this indicates.
I would put money on Musk having personally directed his staff to terminate them.
Twitter is a dying platform. Musk bought it and destroyed it.