Apple bans Infowars app from store: report

[Formerly Once-Ler]

http://thehill.com/policy/technology/405675-apple-bans-infowars-app-from-store-report

Apple has permanently banned InfoWars' app from its app store, just weeks after the tech giant announced it was monitoring the right-wing conspiracy newscast app for possible content policy violations.

The company confirmed the app's permanent removal from the digital store to BuzzFeed News on Friday, declining to issue a statement but referring reporters to the company's content guidelines.

Apple announced last month that the app was under review following the removal of InfoWars' podcasts from the iTunes store.

more at link...

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Why?

I've never seen what Alex Jones has ever done that is so hateful? The guy is a loon, sure. Why are they all going after this guy?

[Applewood]

Why?

I've never seen what Alex Jones has ever done that is so hateful? The guy is a loon, sure. Why are they all going after this guy?

Alex and his whacked-out conspiracy theories have, directly or indirectly, damaged careers and even lives.  He helped spread the infamous Cruz-Oswald JFK assassination conspiracy theory which helped to sink Ted Cruz's presidential bid.  Even worse, his theory that Sandy Hook was fake has led to his followers harassing and even threatening survivors and loved ones of those who died that day.  Those are two examples I can think of off the top of my head.  I'm sure there are more. 

Of course, it's not lost on me that Trump considers Alex Jones and Infowars to be a source of "real news," that Apple is run by leftists who hate Trump's guts and that  the leftists are out to "get" Trump by any means necessary. 

But while Jones' fans can argue that his free speech rights are being violated. free speech is not absolute if it causes real harm to others.  Jones is no longer amusing or just annoying.  He has become the catalyst for violence.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Why?

I've never seen what Alex Jones has ever done that is so hateful? The guy is a loon, sure. Why are they all going after this guy?

The Sandy Hook conspiracy was hateful, as was Pizza Gate, add in monetizing the end of the world and I can understand why private business is concerned.  Pizzagate resulted in an armed kook stand off in comet ping pong pizza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Ping_Pong .  Some QAnon fan almost captured the Hoover Dam https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2018/08/07/qanon-ties-two-arizona-arrests-conspiracy-theory-trump/920336002/

So say some guy in a infowars.com t-shirt blows up an orphanage because he heard Alex say they were growing lizard warriors.  Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube have all banned Jones.  Apple was vulnerable to getting sued because they had not.   

[ABX]

The Sandy Hook conspiracy was hateful, as was Pizza Gate, add in monetizing the end of the world and I can understand why private business is concerned.  Pizzagate resulted in an armed kook stand off in comet ping pong pizza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Ping_Pong .  Some QAnon fan almost captured the Hoover Dam https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2018/08/07/qanon-ties-two-arizona-arrests-conspiracy-theory-trump/920336002/

So say some guy in a infowars.com t-shirt blows up an orphanage because he heard Alex say they were growing lizard warriors.  Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube have all banned Jones.  Apple was vulnerable to getting sued because they had not.

Not to mention what got him finally banned was his calling for people to take up arms against the media and those they think are the deep state. Calls for violence will get you banned from pretty much any site.

Hell, his own site, Infowars had the same terms saying if you do that you'll get banned.

The simple fact of the matter is no one has any right to be on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Apple, or whatever. They are private businesses.

[kevindavis007]

1. I can't believe on Conservatives is supporting a loon like Alex Jones. The guy who started the 9/11 was an inside job.
2. Facebook, Twitter, and other places is not a public utility.  Hell, before JimRob went off his rocker, IinfoWars was banned at the TOS.

[ABX]

1. I can't believe on Conservatives is supporting a loon like Alex Jones. The guy who started the 9/11 was an inside job.
2. Facebook, Twitter, and other places is not a public utility.  Hell, before JimRob went off his rocker, IinfoWars was banned at the TOS.

Worse, on #2, many now think those things should be treated like a public utility and regulated as such, or worse, nationalized. I've seen calls, even here, for this and more. All for the public good of course.

[kevindavis007]

Worse, on #2, many now think those things should be treated like a public utility and regulated as such, or worse, nationalized. I've seen calls, even here, for this and more. All for the public good of course.

To be honest, it is not hard to find some developers to create a social media site. Can you imagine if the Dems get back power and social media is under control of the Government? Becareful in what you wish for you.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

The Sandy Hook conspiracy was hateful, as was Pizza Gate, add in monetizing the end of the world and I can understand why private business is concerned.  Pizzagate resulted in an armed kook stand off in comet ping pong pizza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Ping_Pong .  Some QAnon fan almost captured the Hoover Dam https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2018/08/07/qanon-ties-two-arizona-arrests-conspiracy-theory-trump/920336002/

So say some guy in a infowars.com t-shirt blows up an orphanage because he heard Alex say they were growing lizard warriors.  Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube have all banned Jones.  Apple was vulnerable to getting sued because they had not.

 

I guess.

He's a kook to me. I find the Sandy Hook stuff loony bin stuff, but not particularly hateful.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Not to mention what got him finally banned was his calling for people to take up arms against the media and those they think are the deep state. Calls for violence will get you banned from pretty much any site.

Hell, his own site, Infowars had the same terms saying if you do that you'll get banned.

The simple fact of the matter is no one has any right to be on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Apple, or whatever. They are private businesses.

I agree with you on all of this.

But that doesn't mean I agree with their reasoning on why they're banning Alex Jones. If I was a Jones fan and owned and Iphone, I'd be pissed. I'd probably ask for my money back at the very least.

[TomSea]

He's conspiracy 24/7... that is his bread and butter. It wouldn't be bad if he did it some; but it's all the time and some of it is too fantastic like the FEMA zones.

I know they busted his pirate radio antenna in Austin. For awhile, on listening to shortwave at night, yes, they put his show on and one can find a shortwave guide to his shows on that medium, frequency and so on.  I don't know if it is still on.

He also puts out the Russian line of propaganda on his broadcasts, while I believe in freedom of speech, he gets little sympathy from me because of this.

Putting out statements on Cruz, it's true that the whereabouts of Rafael Cruz in the early '60s is murky, that Rafael claimed to have fought with one of the top revolutionary figures in Cuba when that figure was killed has been shown to be a falsehood too. Jones needs to polish up his act. Some of what he says or people he interviews isn't too bad. He has made a lot I gather, doing his muckraking.

[Applewood]

I agree with you on all of this.

But that doesn't mean I agree with their reasoning on why they're banning Alex Jones. If I was a Jones fan and owned and Iphone, I'd be pissed. I'd probably ask for my money back at the very least.

An app really isn't necessary.  Call up the website and save it to the home page.  I do that on my Samsung and am sure this can be done on an I-Phone. 

[Formerly Once-Ler]

I guess.

He's a kook to me. I find the Sandy Hook stuff loony bin stuff, but not particularly hateful.

There is not enough time to silence all the dangerous kookery on the internet.  It gets challenged when it gets loud.  Jones is one of the loudest voices of kookery, but by no means the only voice, and possible not the worst.  Still it is Apple's right to enforce their standards of use.  I ain't arguing it is fair.

[skeeter]

Why?

I've never seen what Alex Jones has ever done that is so hateful? The guy is a loon, sure. Why are they all going after this guy?

Ever since YouTube banned ol' Alex he's been popping up in person all over the place. That bit with Rubio cracked me up.

It wouldn't surprise me if they gave him his channel back just to get him out of everyone's hair.

[Wingnut]

This dispute between Alex infowars Jones should be settled in the time honored way...with a massive suit against Apple not via any  government clusteredup regulation. 

[jpsb]

Why?

I've never seen what Alex Jones has ever done that is so hateful? The guy is a loon, sure. Why are they all going after this guy?

"They" big social media are going after conservatives. Alex Jones was the test case, now that they
have silenced him they will silence as many conservative voices as they can.

[jpsb]

Alex and his whacked-out conspiracy theories have, directly or indirectly, damaged careers and even lives. 

Why am I not surprised that you have no problem with censuring free speech?

[skeeter]

"They" big social media are going after conservatives. Alex Jones was the test case, now that they
have silenced him they will silence as many conservative voices as they can.

Yeah, they started with an easy target & will now work their way up.

[TomSea]

I tend to see Alex Jones as conspiracy first. Yes, he has a few conservative viewpoints I have personally heard. It's not wrong to air out some things, he just comes off to me as being conspiracy just for conspiracy's sake.

I do not put him in with conventional conservative speakers we think of, Rush,  Mark Levin and so on.

[TomSea]

If one checks out the news, I think another potential target seems to be Tucker Carlson.

Let's not forget too, how liberals went after Glenn Beck years ago with boycotts and the like and they probably did their darndest against Rush already.

[jpsb]

To be honest, it is not hard to find some developers to create a social media site. Can you imagine if the Dems get back power and social media is under control of the Government? Becareful in what you wish for you.

The Dems are in control of big media and  companies like Facebook,  Google and Apple are working
hand in hand with the Dems to shut down conservative voices on big social media. So no it can't
get much worse.

[jpsb]

If one checks out the news, I think another potential target seems to be Tucker Carlson.

Let's not forget too, how liberals went after Glenn Beck years ago with boycotts and the like and they probably did their darndest against Rush already.

Twitter banned Candace Owens a few days ago.

[skeeter]

If one checks out the news, I think another potential target seems to be Tucker Carlson.

Let's not forget too, how liberals went after Glenn Beck years ago with boycotts and the like and they probably did their darndest against Rush already.

I think you're probably right. Tucker has gotten alot less tolerant recently. Progressives cannot stand having their dogma mocked.

[ABX]

I agree with you on all of this.

But that doesn't mean I agree with their reasoning on why they're banning Alex Jones. If I was a Jones fan and owned and Iphone, I'd be pissed. I'd probably ask for my money back at the very least.

They have to weigh the potential legal liability of carrying his content if one of his fans again does something dangerous, to the 4-5 people in the country who actually would stop buying (versus just mouth off on the internet about it) due to his ban. Not to mention, weighing managing complaint lines of people who don't feel business stuff should be on there.

[ABX]

"They" big social media are going after conservatives. Alex Jones was the test case, now that they
have silenced him they will silence as many conservative voices as they can.

But Jones isn't a Conservative.  He plays whatever side will butter his bread. During the Bush era, he was almost a Bernie level leftist on most issues.  (Maximum wage, banning companies from getting too big, GMI, nationalized healthcare, anti-military, pro net neutrality.)