In a recent video, Matt Walsh, a prominent conservative commentator, recounts the events surrounding Twitter’s censorship and the subsequent resignation of Ella Irwin, Twitter’s Vice President of Trust and Safety. Walsh provides a detailed account of the incident, shedding light on the attempts to suppress the release of the film “What is a Woman” and the platform’s subsequent labeling of it as hate speech.
The controversy began when The Daily Wire, an American conservative news and opinion website, sought to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their film by releasing it for free on Twitter, coinciding with the start of Pride Month. Initially, Twitter had agreed to the idea and offered a special event page for the film, which would have provided additional features and ensured a wide reach. However, a few days before the streaming event, Twitter abruptly changed its stance, deeming the film as hate speech and violating its policies against misgendering.
According to Walsh, Twitter’s decision to censor the film came as a surprise, considering they had removed the specific policies against misgendering from their written terms of service months ago. Furthermore, Twitter threatened to tag the film as hateful conduct and disable sharing on the platform if it was posted on The Daily Wire’s page. They suggested that the film could only be posted if certain scenes deemed offensive by Twitter were removed. The Daily Wire rejected this offer, opting to post the film uncensored and engage in a public fight against Twitter’s censorship.
Walsh highlights the involvement of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, in the situation. Musk initially criticized the decision to label the film as hate speech and assured that the problem would be rectified. However, he later stated that the film would be advertiser-restricted and considered sensitive content. This led to confusion regarding the implications of these statements and their impact on free speech.
The conservative commentator questions Twitter’s labeling of “What is a Woman” as sensitive content, pointing out that the platform regularly allows graphic and offensive material without restrictions. Walsh argues that if open discussions on gender ideology were permitted without censorship, the opposing side would crumble under scrutiny.
According to Walsh, Musk’s statements and the subsequent resignations within Twitter’s Trust and Safety team indicate an internal conflict within the company. It appears that there are differing views on free speech, with more radical elements clashing with those supporting open dialogue. He suggests that Musk intended for the film to be distributed uncensored but faced resistance from the woke elements within Twitter.
Walsh concludes his account by expressing encouragement at the successful release of the film and the exposure of Twitter’s censorship attempts. He asserts that the truth ultimately prevails, despite the left’s refusal to engage in fair debates. The widespread attention generated by the censorship incident is expected to have a positive impact on the film’s reach and influence.
