The argument around social media giants banning Infowars and Alex Jones' accounts has reached new heights as Democratic Senator Chris Murphy has expressed his support for the move taken by Facebook, YouTube and others. He urged the tech companies to "take down" websites like Infowars, claiming that the survival of democracy depends on it.
His comment didn't go unnoticed by the US president's son, Donald Trump Jr., who accused the senator of supporting "censorship" by big tech companies. He suggested that the ultimate goal of the so-called "purge" campaign is to eradicate all conservative media in the US.
While not supporting Alex Jones or Infowars, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has spoken against banning the accounts on the social network, noting that Jones has never formally violated Twitter's terms of service. He added that the platform will "hold Jones to the same standard" as any other account.
Twitterians were left divided by the heated exchange between the president's son and the senator. Many of them supported Trump Jr.'s view, noting that tech giants and the Democrats are waging a war on freedom of speech, despite claiming to be defending democracy.
Still, some twitterians scolded Trump Jr. for defending Infowars and its founder, claiming that banning such content can't be considered to be a violation of freedom of speech. Some also noted that the term "censorship" is only applicable to government policies, while private companies are allowed to block any content they want.
A number of tech companies have recently blocked content published by Alex Jones and his Infowars media platform, suspending the accounts. Among those who took the controversial step are Apple, Facebook, Pinterest, Spotify and YouTube.