Twitter Suspends Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene And People Want To Know 1 Thing
Conspiracy theory-endorsing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was temporarily suspended from Twitter on Monday for posting misinformation about COVID-19, and critics were angered by the short penalty.
The Georgia Republican’s account was placed into “read-only mode” for 12 hours after she suggested vaccines weren’t necessary and the coronavirus “is not dangerous for non-obese people and those under 65,” reported the BBC.
Two of Greene’s tweets were labeled with a “misleading” tag. The offending posts remain live.
The controversial #COVID19 vaccines should not be forced on our military for a virus that is not dangerous for non-obese people and those under 65.
With 6,000 vax related deaths and many concerning side effects reported, the vax should be a choice not a mandate for everyone. https://t.co/JhYg3acrrK— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) July 19, 2021
“We took enforcement action on the account @mtgreenee for violations of the Twitter Rules, specifically the Covid-19 misleading information policy,” a Twitter spokesperson told The New York Times.
Greene’s comments came as the highly transmissible delta variant continues to spread across the United States and infections rise.
Greene, a follower of the unhinged QAnon conspiracy, attempted to flip the half-day suspension into an attack on President Joe Biden and “Big Tech companies,” who she claimed “are doing the bidding of the Biden regime to restrict our voices and prevent the spread of any message that isn’t state-approved,” she told the Times.
Greene was similarly suspended from the platform in January for pushing former President Donald Trump’s election lies.
While some people praised Twitter’s action, critics asked why Greene (who has previously praised people refusing to receive the vaccine, railed against the wearing of masks and likened House mask mandates to the Holocaust) wasn’t booted from the platform forever.
Twitter has suspended Marjorie Taylor Greene for 12 hours, for spreading disinformation that could cost lives. So she will not be able to tweet while she sleeps and during breakfast.
— Ben Gleib (@bengleib) July 20, 2021
On Monday evening, Twitter temporarily suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for sharing misinformation about Covid and vaccines. Not knowing what to do next, she yelled racial slurs at a nearby pigeon. pic.twitter.com/LQpu0tmODQ
— Jarrett Bellini (@JarrettBellini) July 20, 2021
ita about time , suspend Fox news
— Russel L. Honore' (@ltgrusselhonore) July 20, 2021
For 12 hours. That's...nothing. https://t.co/F0dlN3xEgr
— Lynn Comella (@LynnComella) July 20, 2021
Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Looney Tunes) has been suspended https://t.co/O7rl5N9ziA
— Jack Sterne (@JRSterne) July 20, 2021
why not forever? Will this QAnon Caucus member add to the Twitter discourse? https://t.co/LDQgAFghPB
— Aki Peritz (@AkiPeritz) July 20, 2021
Another day, another 12-hour suspension for Georgia Rep. Greene. Looks like it started a couple of hours ago, meaning she should be back online in the morning. https://t.co/VNkvF2ZIrP
— Tia Mitchell, AJC’s Washington Correspondent (@ajconwashington) July 20, 2021
Time out is for kindergartners. People this dangerous need a permanent ban. https://t.co/pU9cjGEIuT
— Jimmy Gomez (@JimmyGomezCA) July 20, 2021
If only Fox News would ban Tucker Carlson for at least 24 hours as a result of his misinformation on the Covid pandemic & vaccine. Maybe it would save some lives. Thank you Twitter for putting Marjorie Taylor Greene in time out for her misinformation on #Covid19.
— Olivia of Troye (@OliviaTroye) July 20, 2021
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.