Twitter Permanently Bans Former KKK Leader David Duke

TOPLINE

Twitter confirmed late Thursday that it has permanently banned former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke from its platform, marking one of the platform’s most high-profile crackdowns on the far right as social media companies face growing pressure to combat hate speech.

KEY FACTS

Key Background

Social media companies have faced mounting pressure to address hate speech on their platforms in recent weeks, as the “Stop Hate for Profit” ad boycott swelled to include hundreds of companies taking a stand against hate speech on social media. Though the ad boycott primarily centered on Facebook, the movement has prompted a number of countries to halt advertising or consider doing so on social media more broadly, with a June survey from the World Federation of Advertisers finding that 31% of its members had reduced or were likely to reduce their spending on social media platforms. Some of the biggest companies taking part in the boycott including Starbucks and Coca Cola suspended advertising across social media platforms rather than just Facebook specifically—though Starbucks did continue to advertise on YouTube—and Unilever halted its advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter through December 31.

Further Reading

Twitter permanently bans former KKK leader David Duke (Associated Press)

Twitter Cracks Down On QAnon, Blocks Conspiracy Theory From Trending Topics And Removes 7,000 Accounts (Forbes)

Facebook Ad Boycott Extends Beyond July: ‘Everyone Agrees Facebook Has Got To Change’ (Forbes)