Bans don’t seem to be lessening reach of Alex Jones, InfoWars

Austin American-Statesman ^ | August 11th, 2018 | By Sebastian Herrera and Nicole Cobler

[Mariner]

Some of the nation’s largest technology and social media companies have tried to stop Alex Jones and his conspiracy theories. But in a digital world, their attempts seem to have barely slowed him down.

After YouTube, Facebook and others this week removed content by Jones and his website, the InfoWars leader, talk show host and Austin resident fired back, accusing the companies of censorship and urging his audience to fight back against what he called an “unprecedented attack.”

Meanwhile, Jones’ website and other online platforms have remained popular destinations.

InfoWars continues to see more than 1 million page visits per day and has trended upward this month, according to Amazon’s Alexa website traffic report, which also said InfoWars averages more than 25 million page views per month.

Consumers still can access InfoWars through the same tech companies that just banned it. Google still offers the Infowars app for Android users, and Apple customers can download it through the App Store.

As of Friday, the show’s phone app remained near the top of the charts in both the Apple App and Google Play stores. Infowars Official, an app that lets viewers stream Jones’ shows and read news of the day, was ranked fourth among trending apps in the Google Play store Friday. In the news category on Apple’s App Store, Infowars earned the fourth slot under the top free apps, behind Twitter and News Break, a local and breaking news service, revealing a sudden boost of user downloads.

[Mariner]

So many here were decrying the "censorhip" of Infowars and Alex Jones.

Screaming he had been driven from the public square!

They would not listen to reason, nor to people with knowledge of the internet. They just wanted to rant because Alex knows which of their buttons to push.

Seems Alex gets more viewers now than ever.

Zuckerberg at Facebook has said he believes Jones deliberately precipitated the ban/crisis for publicity.

But I guess we'll never know for sure.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Tried downloading one of his Android apps yesterday and couldn’t find them in the Android store. They are doing everything they can to block them. I just went to http://infowars.com and listened from there.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Professor Noam Chomsky defends Alex Jones/InfoWars against blacklisting by tech

https://www.pscp.tv/w/1gqxvXqpgreGB

[Mariner]

“They are doing everything they can to block them. “

Yet the Internet remains free and open to any publisher willing to pay their own freight.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Seems Alex gets more viewers now than ever.

So it's OK for the social media companies and tech giants to conspire to remove his presence from the highest traffic driving websites in the world because Jones had such a large following anyway?

Other people aren't so lucky. And it won't be long now till Jones has his apps banned off of cell phones as well.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

In before the "WE GOTTA REGULATE FACEBOOK AND TWITTER LIKE FREAKING LIBS!" crowd.

We conservatives believe in a competitive market and a can-do spirit. Don't like FB, Twitter, Google, or YouTube?

Don't use their platforms.
Go out and invest in or create alternatives.

[DoodleBob]

I know of many small rock bands where their sole presence online is FB.

They think their fans and "likes" are theirs. They're wrong. In fact, when they try to send a message across their fan base, FB has an algorithm whereby only a fraction of those who "liked" their page get the message...unless they boost it for $25.

The same generally holds true for other commercial enterprises...they don't "own" their likes.

This is why many entities maintain their own website where they "own" their fans' email addresses etc.

My guess is if enterprises leave FB, they'll quickly find that it's smarter move to build their own presence and website. I suspect Alex Jones is now reaping the benefit of him being cut off, and we can only hope it hastens a greater exodus.

[Mariner]

Do you believe free services should be compelled to carry Infowars?

If so, who is the authority to compel?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

So we shouldn’t scream at the top of our lungs like they do because we are too refined?

[Billthedrill]

Professor Noam Chomsky defends Alex Jones...

Well, that's a sentence I never thought I'd see printed. BTT

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You seem to be offended that we are screaming at the top of our lungs about it.

Do believe it unseemly to fight back, little girl?

[Mariner]

Who will compel a social media company to carry him?

Is there any justice in a power to compel a media company to carry content with an editorial bias they do not agree with?

Do you want some government agency to have that power?

[JayVee]

I tend to have little patience with conspiracy theorists of any kind, especially those that try to tell me that “they” are hiding the truth and that “we” are the only ones who really know what’s going on. This includes 9/11, flat earthers birthers or others of that ilk. Now, that being said, the old adage “I do not agree with a word you say but I will defend unto death your right to say it.” Those who would endeavor to censor others have created a trap of their own making and that tickles me to no end.

[Tai_Chung]

What did he say that “precipitated the ban”?

[Mariner]

“So we shouldn’t scream at the top of our lungs like they do because we are too refined?”

That’s an individual choice.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

You seem to be offended that some choose to do so.

Double-standard much?

[DoodleBob]

Don't like FB, Twitter, Google, or YouTube? Don't use their platforms. Go out and invest in or create alternatives.

Does anyone really think the Deep Staters and this colossus giving us the IRS, Obamacare, the EPA, DACA, the IRS, and the Kelo ruling etc would really make things better? As I wrote elsewhere, empowering this govt to go after these private actors could result in some twisted result where all citizens are then REQUIRED to have a FB and Google account or else you'll have to pay a fee/tax. It can't happen here? Look at all the legal rulings blocking Trump's efforts on immigration. Look at Roberts' Obamacare opinion.

Asking today's Deep State-backed Leviathan to save us from FB and Google is like asking Hillary to protect our embassy in Benghazi. We little people have to solve this with private action.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Who will compel a social media company to carry him?

You don't think an ideological monopoly among tech giants presents an existential threat to Conservatives? It's not just social media. It's payment infrastructure, web domains, access to chat services. Look what's happening to the NRA who are being denied access to financial services. Do you think that's okay because conservatives can just re-invent the internet and make their own banks?

[Mariner]

“Do believe it unseemly to fight back, little girl?”

You have just proven you are just like the silly progressives.

Prima facie proof.

[Mariner]

“Those who would endeavor to censor others have created a trap of their own making and that tickles me to no end.”

Infowars has not been censored.

Facebook and others decided not to carry his content anymore.

Jones is free to publish and pay his own freight. And it seems he’s doing pretty good at it.