By Jason Cohen
The popular conservative social media account Libs of TikTok has already experienced censorship on tech giant Meta’s new text-based app Threads, according to a screenshot shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Libs of TikTok , which is run by Chaya Raichik, posted that “[n]on-binary isn’t real” on Threads Friday morning, and the newly launched app removed it the same day due to its “hate speech” guidelines, a screenshot shared with the DCNF and posted to Twitter shows. Raichik told the DCNF that the removal was unsurprising because of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s history of conservative censorship on Facebook and Instagram.
“Within hours of joining I got death threats, had people sharing my address, and was told to kill myself,” Raichik told the DCNF. “None of those posts were removed despite me reporting them. Only my post stating a fact was removed.”
Threads’ “Terms Of Use” state that the new app enforces the same “Community Guidelines” as Meta’s Instagram because “the service is part of Instagram.” Raichik posted a video on Twitter showing the cruel content directed at her that reportedly remains on Threads.
Raichik told the DCNF this contradicts Zuckerberg posting his desire for Threads to be “a friendly place.”
Instagram’s guidelines state that it removes “hate speech,” defining it as “a direct attack against people … on the basis of what we call protected characteristics: race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, religious affiliation, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity and serious disease.”
Stating facts is “hate speech” on Threads pic.twitter.com/8riRCTNhCv
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 7, 2023
“It’s clear that the biased censorship from big tech is still thriving everywhere except Elon’s Twitter,” Raichik told the DCNF. “I think I’ll stick with Twitter.”
Other prominent conservatives, including Donald Trump Jr. and DC Draino, have also posted about the censorship they experienced on Threads since its launch on Wednesday.
The pair both claimed that Threads asked users if they are “sure” they want to follow the accounts, and flagged that both have “repeatedly posted false information,” according to screenshots.
“Are you sure you want to follow [the account],” the warning reportedly asks.“This account has repeatedly posted false information that was reviewed by independent fact-checkers or went against our Community Guidelines.”
Meta did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
