Kanye West, the renowned rapper and fashion designer, has made a long-awaited return to Twitter after an 8-month ban. The suspension was imposed by Elon Musk, who was CEO of the platform at the time, in December 2022. West’s ban came as a result of him posting an image of a swastika inside a Star of David, causing widespread controversy and outrage.
In the series of final tweets before his removal, West made various claims, including one alleging that his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul were having an affair. However, both Kardashian and Paul refuted the claim, stating it was completely false. Additionally, the rapper shared his thoughts on cancel culture, further adding to the storm of criticism surrounding him.
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Musk addressed the decision to suspend West, revealing that the rapper had violated the platform’s rule against incitement to violence. While the ban was a necessary response to West’s controversial and antisemitic remarks, it also resulted in the loss of lucrative deals with multiple companies, including Adidas.
This wasn’t the first time West found himself in hot water for making antisemitic comments on Twitter. In October of the same year, he was banned from the platform for a tweet in which he mentioned plans to go “death con [sic] 3 on Jewish people.” The repercussions of these actions were severe, yet West’s account was surprisingly reinstated in November.
Despite his return to Twitter, Kanye West faced further complications when a potential deal for him to purchase the conservative social media platform Parler collapsed. Parler confirmed that they ended the agreement to sell the site to the rapper after he made antisemitic comments during an appearance on the alt-right web show InfoWars.
During the controversial InfoWars interview, West shocked the public by praising Adolf Hitler and suggesting that the Nazis had done some positive things. These statements sparked widespread outrage, given the atrocities committed by Hitler and the Nazi regime, resulting in the deaths of millions of people, including six million Jews.
Elon Musk, who considers himself a “free speech absolutist,” has argued that Twitter should only intervene to comply with local laws. Despite his stance, Twitter has taken decisive action against West’s offensive tweets, enforcing bans to protect the platform’s integrity and reputation.
As Kanye West re-enters the Twitterverse, his future behavior and statements will undoubtedly be under intense scrutiny. The rapper’s turbulent relationship with the platform serves as a reminder that even high-profile figures are not exempt from the consequences of their actions on social media.