Gizmodo reports:
Twitter suspended thousands of accounts overnight and conservatives on the platform aren’t happy about it. Twitter has yet to make a public statement about the issue, but right-wing users believe that they’re being targeted in a mass purge of suspected Russian bot accounts.
Conservative Twitter has even started a hashtag called #TwitterLockOut to talk about the purge, with some claiming that real people (as opposed to bots) were locked out of their accounts. Gizmodo has so far been unable to confirm that any real people have had their accounts mistakenly suspended.
I’ve lost close to 1,000 followers offer the past few hours.
Major purge underway.
— Richard ? Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 21, 2018
I lost around 4000 or so. https://t.co/HZRz0y4aJM
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) February 21, 2018
Looks like thousands of Twitter users committed the thought crime of tweeting about “God,” “the American flag,” and “guns,” and were taken off the platform. Our undercover reporting into Twitter showed those terms indicate to engineers you are “for sure a bot.” #TwitterLockOut pic.twitter.com/hI88iUEcCD
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 21, 2018
Twitter is currently purging the followers on conservative accounts only. I just lost 3000 followers in one minute. Check out the trending hashtag to confirm that it is ONLY conservative accounts that are being affected.
Holding for an explanation…#twitterlockout— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) February 21, 2018
If you’re angry about the #TwitterLockOut, then
mark your calendars, RIGHT NOW, for Tuesday, November 6th, 2018.
Make a plan to vote & elect Republicans up and down the ballot. #WednesdayWisdom
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) February 21, 2018
That twitter attack on conservatives hit me too last night. I was deemed “ineligible” to use twitter ads and had followers purged. @twitter should ashamed, we have to organize a response. #TwitterLockOut pic.twitter.com/1Df4jY3Vv6
— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) February 21, 2018
If, like me, you didn’t lose ANY followers, that means the Russian bots didn’t care about you. https://t.co/byVT0A6gWh
— JoeMyGod (@JoeMyGod) February 21, 2018
Wow, @Twitter #fascists have literally purged thousands of my followers in a single day. Leftism can’t abide dissent or open debate. It can only survive through censorship & tyranny #twitterlockdown #twitterpolice
— Matt Barber (@jmattbarber) February 21, 2018
#TwitterLockOut I lost 2K followers last night- 1st and 2nd amendment in jeopardy! Follow @GrrrGraphics and let’s stay connected also @grrrgraphics on @getongab and #Steemit.com https://t.co/Oj98iIxEAZ pic.twitter.com/Ya7oOA9ZJ3
— BenGarrison Cartoons (@GrrrGraphics) February 21, 2018
Everybody threatening to sue Twitter over #TwitterLockOut should probably also sue the Jedi for all the bots they took down in Episode I.#BotsAndPrayers
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) February 21, 2018
My thoughts & prayers are with all those affected by the #TwitterLockout. pic.twitter.com/pzuiAbJmlt
— William LeGate (@williamlegate) February 21, 2018