Periscope
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</font></div><div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">mma</font></div><div><h3 class="editorial-compacttitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.33333; margin: 0px; fill: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/qanon-conspiracy-theory/qanon-rally-promoter-plans-livestream-event-periscope-which-prohibits" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none; fill: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;"><span property="schema:name" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); fill: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">QAnon rally promoter plans to livestream event on Periscope, which prohibits violence-encouraging content</font></span></a></h3><p class="dateline-compact" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.3rem 0px 0px; align-items: center; display: flex; font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase; fill: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;"><span class="dateline-compacttype" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; height: 1.5em; margin-right: 1em; width: 1.5em; fill: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;"><svg viewbox="0 0 24 24" class="icon icon--article" aria-labelledby="icon-label--article"><use xlink:href="#article" xmlns:xlink="xlink"><svg id="article" viewbox="0 0 24 24" /></use></svg></span><time datetime="2019-09-05T15:19:00-0400" style="box-sizing: border-box; fill: rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">09/05/19 3:19 PM EDT</font></time></p></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></span></font></div></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/video/2018/08/14/pericope-alex-jones-tells-supporters-get-their-battle-rifles-ready-against-antifa-mainstream-media/220995">https://www.mediamatters.org/video/2018/08/14/pericope-alex-jones-tells-supporters-get-their-battle-rifles-ready-against-antifa-mainstream-media/220995</a></font></div><div><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">
</font><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">LEX JONES (HOST): It now stands with you and the U.S. military who I know already understand who the Chicom operatives and the traitors are to understand who's trying to take the First Amendment, who’s trying to bankrupt the country, who’s trying to shut down everything, who went ahead and admitted they wanted to bankrupt health care in America to bring us to our knees. We’re under attack and you know that, and you pointed out mainstream media is the enemy.</span></font></div><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 25px 30px 10px; margin: 20px 20px 25px; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-shadow: rgb(204, 204, 204) 0px 6px 0px -4px; clear: both; float: left; width: 612.75px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But now it’s time to act on the enemy before they do a false flag. I know the Justice Department's crippled, a bunch of followers and cowards. But there’s groups, there’s grand juries, there’s -- you called for it and it’s time politically and economically and judiciously and legally and criminally to move against these people. It’s got to be done now. Get together the people you know aren’t traitors, and aren’t cowards, and aren’t hedging their frickin’ bets like all these other assholes do, and let’s go, let’s do it. Because they’re coming. Now, in your wisdom you may be playing possum and waiting for them to come in. But America needs to know that they’ve got their little pathetic commie red teams ready. And they’ve got their targets picked out: the sheriffs, the judges, the police chiefs, the patriots, the veterans, the talk show hosts, everybody. And everyone’s going to be amazed when they come and when those cowards come and it’s going to hit in the middle of the night, and they’re coming. And they’re coming. And they’re coming.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">They think they can really take down America. And this is it. So, people need to have their battle rifles and everything ready at their bedsides and you got to be ready because the media is so disciplined in their deception. Antifa attacked all these people at the White House, beat up reporters, beat up women, children, no coverage. And they’ve got discipline folks, they’ve got criminal discipline because they’re a bunch of followers.</font></p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: 700;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</em></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-east-asian: normal;">Previously</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-east-asian: normal;">:</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/08/07/Periscope-is-still-hosting-video-where-Alex-Jones-pantomimed-shooting-Robert-Mueller/220923" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Periscope is still hosting video where Alex Jones pantomimed shooting Robert Mueller</font></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/video/2017/04/04/trump-ally-alex-jones-threatens-beat-rep-adam-schiff-s-goddamn-ass-anti-gay-tirade/215903" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Trump ally Alex Jones threatens to “beat” Rep. Adam Schiff’s “goddamn ass” in anti-gay tirade</font></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/video/2017/07/10/alex-jones-prepared-shoot-people-race-war-he-wouldn-t-enjoy-it/217194" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Alex Jones is prepared to shoot people in a race war, but he wouldn’t enjoy it</font></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2017/07/19/alex-jones-wont-start-next-american-civil-war-he-ready-finish-it/217285" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Alex Jones won't start the next American civil war, but he is ready to finish it</font></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(0, 153, 255);">Alex Jones and Roger Stone visited a gun range to prepare for civil war if Trump is removed from offic</span>e</font></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jones and Infowars <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ftechnology%2F2018%2Faug%2F06%2Fapple-removes-podcasts-infowars-alex-jones&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=16&v=1424" style="">were</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fblog%2F2018%2F08%2F07%2Falex-jones-shows-document-saying-hes-also-been-removed-mailchimp%2F220922&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=17&v=1424" style="">removed</a> from Spotify, Stitcher, Apple's iTunes, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and MailChimp. As of now, they are still available via Google and Apple apps, and on Twitter as well. Jones reacted to this by having a meltdown, <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fvideo%2F2018%2F08%2F06%2Fafter-infowars-removed-various-platforms-alex-jones-begs-donald-trump-help%2F220911&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=18&v=1424" style="">begging</a> Donald Trump to help him, and <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fvideo%2F2018%2F08%2F08%2Falex-jones-calls-trump-and-republicans-make-infowars-top-campaign-issue-midterms%2F220937&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=19&v=1424" style="">calling for</a> Republicans to make Infowars a top issue in the midterms. Republican Arizona Senate candidate Joe Arpaio, who previously credited Jones with him getting a pardon for Trump, <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fblog%2F2018%2F08%2F07%2Faz-senate-candidate-joe-arpaio-comes-alex-jones-defense%2F220921&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=20&v=1424" style="">leapt</a> to Jones defense.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Twitter app Periscope is <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fblog%2F2018%2F08%2F07%2FPeriscope-is-still-hosting-video-where-Alex-Jones-pantomimed-shooting-Robert-Mueller%2F220923&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=21&v=1424" style="">still hosting</a> the video where Jones pantomimed shooting special counsel Robert Mueller, seemingly in violation of Periscope's rules. A CNN investigation <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2018%2F08%2F10%2Fmedia%2Finfowars-twitter-alex-jones%2Findex.html&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=22&v=1424" style="">found multiple examples</a> of Jones and Infowars breaking Twitter's rules; Twitter has since admitted as such, but said that Jones will remain on the platform for now. Meanwhile, even Infowars' own terms of service <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2F2018%2F08%2F07%2Finfowars-terms-of-service-ironic-censorship%2F&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=23&v=1424" style="">would allow</a> removing Infowars' content.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended the decision in an interview with Sean Hannity. Hannity <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fvideo%2F2018%2F08%2F08%2Fsean-hannity-thanks-jack-dorsey-and-twitter-sticking-alex-jones%2F220938&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=24&v=1424" style="">praised</a> Twitter for sticking up for Alex Jones, and <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fvideo%2F2018%2F08%2F08%2Fsean-hannity-brushes-alex-jones-sandy-hook-smear-claims-banning-jones-social-media-slippery-slope%2F220941&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=25&v=1424" style="">said that</a> banning Jones is just a "slippery slope." Dorsey <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fvideo%2F2018%2F08%2F08%2Ftwitter-ceo-jack-dorsey-says-twitter-factors-platform-behavior-when-deciding-suspensions%2F220939&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=26&v=1424" style="">said that</a> off-platform behavior does factor into the decisions that the platform makes.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Seeking retribution for Jones, far-right trolls are unleashing a harassment campaign called "Verified Hate" on Twitter <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="https://mediamatters.nationbuilder.com/r?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediamatters.org%2Fblog%2F2018%2F08%2F09%2Fseeking-revenge-alex-jones-far-right-trolls-unleash-harassment-verified-twitter-users%2F220953&e=2fd18ded548fce9ef66e074aaf01da3d5df1923b&utm_source=mediamatters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=812weekly&n=27&v=1424" style="">targeting</a> journalists and activists. Rather than entertaining questions from a Seth Rich truther like Sean Hannity, Dorsey would behoove himself to clean his platform of this neo-Nazi trash harassment.</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ref</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/08/09/seeking-revenge-alex-jones-far-right-trolls-unleash-harassment-verified-twitter-users/220953"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2018/08/09/seeking-revenge-alex-jones-far-right-trolls-unleash-harassment-verified-twitter-users/220953</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Seeking revenge for Alex Jones, far-right trolls unleash harassment on verified Twitter users</font></b></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A harassment campaign organized on far-right sites targeted journalists and activists with malicious abuse</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Blog ››› August 9, 2018 5:12 PM EDT ››› TALIA LAVIN</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sarah Wasko/Media Matters</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On Wednesday, Twitter’s CEO Jack Dorsey reiterated the importance of journalists’ presence on the platform when he tweeted, “We can’t be a useful service without the integrity journalists bring.” Some journalists, many of whom have faced relentless harassment on the platform, met Dorsey’s proclamation with jaded skepticism, and for good reason. Following President Donald Trump’s frequent attacks against the press, journalists have become a target for online harassment by the far-right favorites, egged on by prominent figures like Fox’s Sean Hannity, whom Dorsey gave a rare interview to this week. And when the consequences of the anti-press sentiment on the right have turned deadly, far-right message boards users have reacted in celebration.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In fact, at the time Dorsey was underscoring the vital role of the press on Twitter, a<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> coordinated harassment campaign -- seemingly originating from the anonymous message board 4chan and the white supremacist-friendly Twitter alternative Gab.ai -- was targeting users, including dozens of<b> journalists, who have been verified by Twitter.</b></span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The campaign, organized under the hashtag #VerifiedHate, can be traced back to multiple internet spats that have unfolded in recent days. The first was a determined, bad-faith campaign to force The New York Times to fire newly hired editorial board member Sarah Jeong who had written a number of tweets appearing to denigrate white people. The manufactured outrage over Jeong was dominated by right-wing figures and championed by Fox’s Tucker Carlson, who insisted on taking her flippant tweets as deadly earnest “reverse racism.” However, the campaign culminated in frustration as the Times retained Jeong, despite issuing a somewhat equivocal statement. The second episode was <b>Alex Jones getting banned from several tech platforms including Apple, YouTube, Facebook, Stitcher, and MailChimp,</b> which was viewed by right-wing media as evidence of double standards and anti-conservative bias among tech companies.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Faced with the combination of their failure to get a woman of color fired and their ire at tech companies, anonymous social-media users started a campaign to harass verified Twitter users who have in the past sent tweets containing jokes about white people.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The campaign -- targeting particularly those of Jewish descent -- can be traced back to Gab, which harbors infamous white supremacist trolls like Daily Stormer founder Andrew Anglin. Four days ago, a Gab user posted a collage of verified Twitter users who the person claimed were showing their “white hatred”:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The #VerifiedHate hashtag was also promoted by Gab founder and CEO Andrew Torba, a defender of white supremacist rhetoric who has appeared on Infowars to attack tech platforms:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The idea spread to 4chan, where users called the push to harass journalists and activists “Twittercaust” or the “Night of the Blue Checkmarks,” saying it was an effort “to prove … once and for all that the Journalists, media personalities and celebrities are all a part of a massive anti white (sic) conspiracy!!!”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The trolls also revealed it was a coordinated action, with some 4chan members claiming they were using multiple accounts to push the hashtag:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4chan users posted examples of their coordinated Twitter harassment on the message board, demonstrating ways in which individual tweets could circumvent the platform’s hateful conduct policy that prohibits the usage of slurs:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The trolls particularly singled out individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent who had referenced their own whiteness and Jewishness on Twitter:</font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">One locus of the #VerifiedHate campaign was <b>BuzzFeed journalist Joe Bernstein,</b> who received significant volumes of harassment, including one user who sent him an image of a gun:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On Twitter, the account @meme_america began to promote lists of users whom trolls could harass in the #VerifiedHate campaign and focused on specific journalists like VICE’s Justin Ling, who was subjected to vile comments:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Multiple 4chan users expressed affinity for Alex Jones, and one claimed that, though Twitter hasn't banned Jones yet, the platform has removed other conservative voices and “probably will remove more”:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">#VerifiedHate is an example of an open campaign cooked up by right-wing trolls to harass and intimidate verified Twitter users, specifically journalists. If Dorsey really needs journalists to maintain the integrity of his platform, perhaps he should work to suppress campaigns that subject them to threats, intimidation, and harassment and make the social media platform safer to use for everyone.</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></div></div></div>