X’s Crackdown on Stonetoss Investigation Sparks Controversy
Anonymous Comrades Collective Account Suspended
In a surprising turn of events, the account associated with the Anonymous Comrades Collective, which had posted a thread revealing the identity of the controversial cartoonist Stonetoss, was deleted and suspended by X (formerly known as Twitter). The incident quickly gained attention, with dozens of users, including researchers and journalists, discussing the details of the investigation and sharing the name of the alleged cartoonist, Hans Kristian Graebener.
X Locks Down Accounts, Orders Deletion of Offending Tweets
In response to the spreading of information about Graebener, X took swift action, locking down many accounts and demanding that users delete the offending tweets to regain full access. Even sharing a link to an article detailing the research resulted in a warning message from X, stating that the link had been identified as potentially harmful.
Users Persist in Sharing Details Despite Censorship Efforts
Despite X’s crackdown, people continued to share details of the Stonetoss investigation. As Alejandra Caraballo, a clinical instructor at the Harvard Law School Cyberlaw Clinic, put it, “We all just started posting his name; it was like a game of whack-a-mole. They’re just trying to censor his name, and then everyone started getting their accounts locked.”
Caraballo’s Account Suspended for Sharing Information
Caraballo herself faced consequences for sharing information about Graebener. After initially circumventing a ban by claiming to be a victim of mass reporting from antifa attempting to silence her right-wing viewpoint, she was quickly locked out of her account again when she changed her username to “Hans Kristian Graebener is stonetoss.” This resulted in a 12-hour suspension, followed by a seven-day suspension for earlier posts sharing screenshots of information about Graebener. Shortly after this article was originally published, Caraballo’s account was restored by X without explanation.
X Stands by Its Decision, Cites Policy Violation
An X representative stated that the company, after reviewing the actions taken against the accounts of Anonymous Comrades Collective, Holt, Gais, Monacelli, and Caraballo, stood by its decision. Joe Benarroch, head of business operations at X, said, “The posts that were removed were all actioned correctly,” adding that the posts violated the company’s “posting private information policy” for “outing the identity of an anonymous user.”
Inconsistencies in X’s Terms of Service
However, a review of X’s terms of service shows no mention of a policy related to outing the identity of an anonymous user. Benarroch did not respond to a request for clarification on this matter.
“According to X’s terms of service, posting someone’s name does not constitute doxing, but many accounts, including my own, have been made to delete posts that merely mention the name of the racist and antisemitic cartoonist Stonetoss,” Monacelli tells WIRED. “I’ve never seen enforcement like this before.”
The incident has raised questions about X’s handling of the situation and the consistency of its enforcement policies, leaving many users concerned about the platform’s approach to free speech and the sharing of information.
1 Comment
Well, isn’t that a spicy turn of events!