Losing That Little Blue Checkmark. Permanently.


Conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos (Screenshot)

Conservative provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos (Screenshot)

Yesterday, it was noted that Leslie Jones had been harassed off Twitter by a torrent of racist shit, and of course, asshack Milo Yiannopoulos was leading the charge. Milo is a remarkably untalented person, who has relied on Twitter to make hay for him, thanks to their rather nonchalant views about harassment. Not that Milo has any idea of how to actually do anything, but he’ll have to make do without Twitter.

Twitter has permanently banned a rightwing writer and notorious troll for his role in the online abuse of Leslie Jones over her role in the Ghostbusters reboot.

Milo Yiannopoulos, the technology editor for Breitbart.com, tweeted as @Nero. Before he was banned, he had more than 338,000 followers and called himself “the most fabulous supervillain on the internet” for his provocations online.

No, Cupcake. You aren’t fabulous at anything.

Yiannopoulos has been suspended from Twitter several times in the past for violating its terms of service, and had his verified status revoked earlier this year, prompting the hashtag #JeSuisMilo among his supporters.

But claims that he had fanned the flames of the harassment of Ghostbusters actor Leslie Jones on Twitter led to a “permanent suspension” from Twitter on Wednesday.

Yiannopolous told Breitbart.com his suspension was “cowardly”, and evidence that Twitter was a “no-go zone for conservatives”.

“Like all acts of the totalitarian regressive left, this will blow up in their faces, netting me more adoring fans. We’re winning the culture war, and Twitter just shot themselves in the foot.

“This is the end for Twitter. Anyone who cares about free speech has been sent a clear message: you’re not welcome on Twitter.”

[…]

Before he was banned, he told Heat Street that “of course” he had no regrets about his behaviour towards Jones. “But feminists, on the other hand, should have regrets that they have taught strong women that they are victims and attacked people for having different opinions to them on Twitter.”

A spokesman for Twitter said in a statement that “permanent suspension” was one of a number of steps that had been taken to address the uptick in offending accounts since Jones began rallying against her abusers.

There’s more at The Guardian. Okay, Twitter. This was a good first step. Don’t stop now, please.

Comments

  1. rq says

    I seem to have misplaced my Tiniest Violin, whoopsie.
    (Seriously, #JeSuisMilo was one of the worst ideas in the history of the world.

    But feminists, on the other hand, should have regrets that they have taught strong women that they are victims and attacked people for having different opinions to them on Twitter.

    Because Leslie Jones faked being a victim because she suddenly realized that strong women are victims, out of the blue -- wasn’t nothing to do with horrible racist tweets and commentary from you, Milo! Fuck you.

  2. Siobhan says

    “JeSuisMilo”? Yes, obviously being banned from Twitter is comparable to having your workplace repeatedly shot and bombed for being critical of Islam.

    But we have the victim complex.

    Riiiight.

  3. Kengi says

    We’re winning the culture war, and Twitter just shot themselves in the foot.

    He can always startup a Tripod account. Maybe Friendster?

  4. rq says

    Saad

    Forgot to stock up on fucks.

    Yeah, the warehouse seems to be out, too. Some kind of production halt, I think.

    Caine

    Or he could start Bitter!, the new rival to Twitter.

    Now now, that just sounds like a really bad musical. Best not. *urgh*
    (I get the feeling that Colbert’s blue hair was modelled in no small part on Milo’s fluffy ‘do.)

  5. says

    rq:

    (I get the feeling that Colbert’s blue hair was modelled in no small part on Milo’s fluffy ‘do.)

    That is straight out of The Hunger Games. However, if it jabs Milo, all the better.

  6. rq says

    Oh I know the Hunger Games reference,but there’s just something about Milo… maybe retrospectively, I can see how he’d be an inspiration, too (for the hair! for the hair only!!).

  7. says

    “Anyone who cares about [being an abusive asshat] has been sent a clear message: you’re not welcome on Twitter.”

    Fucking finally. Maybe there’s hope for it after all.

  8. says

    Ian King @ 11:

    Fucking finally. Maybe there’s hope for it after all.

    I won’t be holding my breath. I’d like to think Twitter is going to get off their arse, grow up and get serious, but I doubt that will happen. As John Scalzi noted, this was a case of punching up, so to speak -- a famous person was harassed, and complained, and other famous, high power people complained.

    For all the non-famous people who are harassed in the same way, Twitter doesn’t care so much about that.

  9. Ice Swimmer says

    Caine @ 12

    For all the non-famous people who are harassed in the same way, Twitter doesn’t care so much about that.

    And the AARAs* will use this as a tool for hitting progressives, because some of them (like Dave Rubin** of Rubin Report in Youtube, who is Jewish and gay, and supports Mr Yiannopoulos) do get unfair (anti-gay/anti-semitic) abuse and their abuse reports might also get ignored.
    __
    * = Abusive Assholes’ Rights Activists
    ** = He did a video about the case, which I didn’t watch to the end as it was clear he wasn’t making any substantial arguments about the behaviour of Mr Y-poulos.

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