Twitter blocked Voz Media's account while it was fulfilling its function of reporting on a significant event such as the Trans Day of Vengeance on social networks. The indiscriminate censorship has also reached numerous users who also denounced the act, such as Voz Media and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who have been sanctioned for several days without being able to publish content. In what is a flagrant contradiction to the airs of freedom and the fight against censorship that Elon Musk said the head of security and trust at the technology company, Ella Irwin, openly acknowledged that they deleted all posts that shared the poster announcing the day because "we do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them."
Sanction without explanation of reasons
Voz Media's Social Media team uploaded the news about this event to the platform. The tweet was deleted and the account blocked. The company's CCO, Pablo Kleinman, appealed the decision, asking Elon Musk for explanations. The response was the ratification of the sanction without explaining the reasons for it. Kleinman denounced this situation and stressed that, despite the censorship, "Voz Media will not hesitate to continue reporting the facts as they occur."
we appealed and @twitter replied that there was indeed a violation when there clearly was none. that may be the reason why the reference is blank on their email. @VozMediaUSA will not hesitate to continue to report the facts as they occur. #twittercensorship pic.twitter.com/i2m5E9QpcF
— Pᴀʙʟᴏ Kʟᴇɪɴᴍᴀɴ שלמה בן יהודה (@yatusabe) March 29, 2023
"Violent speeches"
Subsequently, Twitter again justified the sanction, claiming in an email that the post violated the social network's rule prohibiting violent speech. An explanation that is also unsubstantiated. The platform operators point out that our tweet would have allegedly threatened, incited, glorified or expressed a desire for harm or violence, which it clearly does not. The publication that caused the blocking was limited to informing readers about the event.
Uncensored Spanish-language publication
Interestingly, Voz Media's Spanish-language publication reporting the call to violence has not been removed from the company's Twitter feed, nor did it receive any warning or qualification from the technology company.
Los convocantes habrían recaudado donaciones para el entrenamiento en el uso de armas, según reporta el Daily Wire.
💬 "Es nuestro grito de guerra".https://t.co/A54hxNkQ3T #DíaDeLaVenganzaTrans #TransDayOfVengeance #Transgénero #Trans
— Voz Media (@VozMediaUSA) March 28, 2023
"Pre Musk Twitter censorship practices"
The director of Voz Media, Mario Noya, also demanded explanations from Musk in view of this sanction, denouncing that the company "seems to be suffering from Twitter's censorship practices" prior to the purchase of the company by the South African tycoon. Noya, moreover, shared a tweet from Musk himself on April 16 in which he assured that "best way to combat misinformation is to respond with accurate information, not censorship."
Hi @elonmusk: @twitter has suspended the @VozMediaUSA account for doing its duty to inform the public. Quite troubling. This media outlet, which I have the honor of running, seems to be suffering from Pre Musk Twitter censorship practices. https://t.co/OK2c4wNvkL #censorship
— Voz Mario Noya (@MarioNoyaVoz) March 28, 2023
Indeed! https://t.co/yT23DQbj8q https://t.co/vCYWk7glYJ
— Voz Mario Noya (@MarioNoyaVoz) March 28, 2023
The "left-wing bias" that Musk denounced is still in place
At a particularly sensitive time, such as the one just experienced where a transgender person assaulted a Christian school in Nashville which ended with the deaths of three children, three adults and the assailant herself, after being shot by police, information about a violent threat from radical trans activists is a clearly relevant fact. Especially as there is talk that the murderer left a manifesto justifying her criminal action. As a media outlet, Voz Media has an obligation to cover this issue and inform our followers. The punishment, for reporting on violence promoted by trans activists is reminiscent of Musk's post in which he acknowledged that "Twitter has a strong left-wing bias."
Twitter obv has a strong left wing bias
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2022
Twitter acknowledges censorship of 'Trans Day of Vengeance' tweets
Several prominent users of the social network warned that Twitter was penalizing those who shared the event poster, and recommended not to do so to avoid censorship and punishment by the company. The same head of security and trust at the technology company, Ella Irwin, acknowledged in response to one of these tweeters, that they had deleted more than 5,000 tweets and retweets of the poster for incitement to violence. In his publication, Irwin stresses that the word "'vengeance' does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or supporting peaceful protests is fine."
Correct. We had to automatically sweep our platform and remove >5000 tweets /retweets of this poster. We do not support tweets that incite violence irrespective of who posts them. "Vengeance" does not imply peaceful protest. Organizing or support for peaceful protests is ok
— Ella Irwin (@ellagirwin) March 28, 2023
The publication was responded to by Kleinman and Noya, who asked the board to explain where the hate speech is in our publication. The CCO of Voz Media even pointed out that the sanctioned tweet did not even include the sign, the reason Irwin used to justify the blocks.
we did not tweet the poster out, but got our account @VozMediaUSA blocked for simply tweeting a news story that talked about the poster/event! pic.twitter.com/kJkWU22tzR
— Pᴀʙʟᴏ Kʟᴇɪɴᴍᴀɴ שלמה בן יהודה (@yatusabe) March 28, 2023
Why are media outlets like @VozMediaUSA who are doing nothing but doing their duty to inform the citizenry being censored? Where is the incitement here? Kind regards.https://t.co/OK2c4wNvkL
— Voz Mario Noya (@MarioNoyaVoz) March 28, 2023
Taylor Greene, sanctioned for whistleblowing
Twitter's indiscriminate censorship even affected Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who reported that her official account had been blocked for seven days for posting about the issue. The lawmaker alleges that, contrary to Irwin's excuses, she was sanctioned for uploading a tweet "exposing Antifa's 'Trans Day of Vengeance' violence plan."
Twitter’s @ellagirwin claims no one was given a “strike” for warning the American people of political violence planned at the Supreme Court.
Yet my official CONGRESSIONAL account was banned for 7 days for exposing Antifa’s plan for violence on the “Trans Day of Vengeance.”… https://t.co/L6jVrR4RRC pic.twitter.com/UKbrVLgTgz
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) March 28, 2023
