Breaking: Twitter Goes After The Babylon Bee, Suspends Its Account for ‘Spam’

Breaking on Monday, big tech company Twitter suspended the account of the Christian satire organization The Babylon Bee.

Kyle Mann, editor-in-chief at The Babylon Bee, posted a screenshot of the suspension on Twitter.

“Hello, your account, The Babylon Bee, has been suspended for violating Twitter Rules,” Twitter wrote to Mann. “Specifically, for: Violating our rules against platform manipulation and spam.”

“WELP,” Mann commented.

According to Twitter’s Help Center, the rule against “platform manipulation and spam” prohibits using “Twitter’s services in a manner intended to artificially amplify or suppress information or engage in behavior that manipulates or disrupts people’s experience on Twitter.”

Twitter then gives three ways “platform manipulation and spam” can take place:

1. “Commercially-motivated spam, that typically aims to drive traffic or attention from a conversation on Twitter to accounts, websites, products, services, or initiatives.”

2. “Inauthentic engagements, that attempt to make accounts or content appear more popular or active than they are.”

3. “Coordinated activity, that attempts to artificially influence conversations through the use of multiple accounts, fake accounts, automation and/or scripting.”

It’s unclear at this point which rule Twitter alleges that The Bee violated to earn the suspension.

In the screenshot posted by Mann, Twitter also wrote, “You may not use Twitter’s services in a manner intended to artificially amplify or suppress information or engage in behavior that manipulates or disrupts people’s experiences on Twitter.”

The notification by Twitter did not include a specific reason for The Bee’s suspension or provide reasoning based on one of the three ways an account can be suspended for “platform manipulation and spam.”

Twitter’s letter to Mann also included a warning that if The Bee were to try and create a new account, the new one would also bee (pun-intended) suspended.

“If you wish to appeal this suspension, please contact our support team,” the message concludes.

The Bee often posts controversial, hard-hitting satires pieces that take aim at the political Left and Right, as well as different Christian denominations and practices.

The Daily Citizen has reached out to Twitter and The Babylon Bee for further comment. This is a breaking story and will be updated with further comment from Twitter and The Babylon Bee if provided.

Update: Following publication of this article, The Babylon Bee’s account has been unsuspended. In a message to CEO of The Babylon Bee, Seth Dillon, Twitter wrote, “We’re writing to let you know that we’ve unsuspended your account… yours was flagged as spam by mistake.”

You can follow this author on Twitter @MettlerZachary

Photo from Twitter

 

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