Twitter was embroiled in controversy after banning an editor at the conservative Breitbart website for fueling a stream of abuse that drove "Ghostbusters" star Leslie Jones to quit the social network. The ban on Milo Yiannopoulos, the website's tech editor known for provocative posts, sparked protests from his supporters but praise from others, while triggering debate over free speech on social media.
A hashtag war erupted between Yiannopoulos supporters united by the banner #FreeMilo and his critics -- who rallied under #LoveForLeslieJ. Yiannopoulos hit back at the ban saying "Twitter has confirmed itself as a safe space for Muslim terrorists and Black Lives Matter extremists, but a no-go zone for conservatives."
The suspension came a day after Jones, who is African American, said she was leaving Twitter after being bombarded by Internet trolls likening her to an ape among other racist slurs. "I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart. All this cause I did a movie. You can hate the movie but the shit I got today... wrong," the "Saturday Night Live" comedian and actress said late Monday. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey responded with a tweet to Jones saying he was "following" and asking her to contact him directly. Yiannopoulos's Twitter account, which had more than 338,000 followers, was later blocked. "People should be able to express diverse opinions and beliefs on Twitter," the company said in a statement. "But no one deserves to be subjected to targeted abuse online."
Critics of Yiannopoulos said he incited his followers to bombard the actress with racial comments, while his supporters claimed he was targeted for his views. Commenting on a tweet in which Jones said she had been called an ape, Yiannopoulos responded: "If at first you don't succeed (because your work is terrible), play the victim. EVERYONE GETS HATE MAIL FFS." His tweet reportedly triggered a torrent of abuse towards the 48-year-old "Ghostbusters" star who responded by taking screenshots and retweeting the slurs, saying they had made her "numb."
After being subjected to hours of harrassment from Yiannopoulos's supporters, Jones called him out: "@Nero you can say what you want about my work but when you support hate, that's not right. Wonder do your readers know you support hate!!" Twitter's actions were set to further intensify a simmering debate on how social media platforms regulate offensive or inappropriate conduct. One Twitter user, Sara Levine, welcomed the ban on Yiannopoulos, tweeting, "Racists shouldn't be allowed to silence others."
Both Twitter and Facebook have banned thousands of suspected jihadists for seeking to incite or celebrate violence, and have targeted users for harassment and insults. But the platforms have been navigating a fine line, staying open to controversial views while keeping out violent or abusive content.
Matthew Ingram, a Fortune magazine writer who blogs for the Nieman Journalism Lab, suggested that this time, Twitter may have gone too far. "I know this isn't going to be a popular opinion, but I don't think Milo said anything to Leslie Jones that deserves a permanent ban," Ingram tweeted.
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This story in 30 seconds
• Ghostbusters’ Leslie Jones quits Twitter over abuse and trolling by website editor and his fans
• Milo Yiannopoulos subsequently banned by Twitter
• Debate over free speech rages online
• Milo tweets to Jones starts a barrage of abuse towards the Ghostbusters actress
• Twitter and Facebook have banned and targeted users for harassment and insults, but have been open to controversial news
