Twitter Permanently Suspends Ocasio-Cortez Parody Account
Action taken by Twitter once again caught the eyes of numerous users this week, as the site suddenly moved to suspend a prominent conservative account meant to poke fun at New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
The Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez Press Release (parody), which had more than 85,000 followers and carried the word “parody” in both its account name and biography, was “permanently suspended” Monday night.
The page’s creator, Mike Morrison, who also had his personal account suspended the same night, says Twitter claimed in emails he has since provided to Human Events and Culttture that the account was suspended for posting content deemed “substantially similar” to posts actually made by the freshman representative.
According to Twitter, parody accounts are welcome on the site, but their policy associates the posting of “substantially similar” content with creating “fake or misleading accounts.”
.@OfficeOfMike has confirmed to me that he has been PERMANENTLY suspended from Twitter.
He also ran the @AOCpress account which is also permanently suspended.
Twitter claims he violated the rules with creating @AOCpress even though it clearly stated it was a parody account pic.twitter.com/ecMopPfE4w
— Courtney Holland ?? (@hollandcourtney) May 7, 2019
“.@OfficeOfMike has confirmed to me that he has been PERMANENTLY suspended from Twitter,” Courtney Holland, a contributor at Culttture, wrote in a tweet accompanying Morrison’s emails. “Twitter claims he violated the rules with creating @AOCpress even though it clearly stated it was a parody account.”
“You may not register or create fake and misleading accounts. While you may use Twitter pseudonymously or as a parody, commentary, or fan account, you may not use misleading account information in order to engage in spamming, abusive, or disruptive behavior, include attempts to manipulate the conversations on Twitter,” the email read.
“You may also not ‘post duplicative or substantially similar content, replies, or mentions over multiple accounts or multiple duplicate updates on one account or create duplicate or substantially similar accounts,” the email concluded, “This account will not be reinstated.”
The suspension comes on the heels of the controversial purging of several high-profile accounts from various social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram last week.
Morrison says he believes this was a politically motivated attempt to censor increasingly popular conservative content.
“I think Twitter banned AOC Press for the increasing amounts of attention it’s been receiving lately,” Morrison told Human Events.
“In the past month and a half alone the account grew by roughly 50,000 followers.”
“We’ve had tweets with over 30,000 likes on them, so I think Twitter decided it was time for [the account] to go. They didn’t like how popular an account created by their political opposition had become,” he said.
Other prominent conservative Twitter personalities untouched by such actions were quick to speak out in agreement with Morrison.
Nearly 60,000 followers – gone, in a drop of a hat.
Because of a nonexistent “parody” violation, since @officeofmike managed @aocpress.
Clearly Mike was trying to comply.
And Twitter suspended him anyway.
Favoritism to @AOC? Anti-semitism?
What’s going on, @jack? pic.twitter.com/DJ18EoPcgA
— Will Chamberlain ?? (@willchamberlain) May 7, 2019
‘AOC Press’ Parody Killed in Latest Big Tech Election Interference. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO FREE SPEECH? THIS IS CENSORSHIP! https://t.co/eTQREYKw6j
— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) May 7, 2019
Twitter has permanently suspended @AOCPress a good-natured and clearly-marked parody account and @OfficeOfMike my close friend who managed it
This is a purge
— Jack Posobiec ?? (@JackPosobiec) May 7, 2019
“Twitter has permanently suspended @AOCPress a good-natured and clearly-marked parody account and @OfficeOfMike my close friend who managed it,” Jack Posobiec, a host at One America News Network, wrote. “This is a purge.”
As of this report, neither Morrison’s personal account nor the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Press Release (parody) account have been reinstated.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
