Kanye West’s Accounts Restricted on Twitter, Instagram Following Backlash Over Antisemitic Posts

J. Kim Murphy
·3 min read
1.5k

Kanye “Ye” West’s Twitter account was locked by the social media platform for violating its policies, a spokesperson for the company has confirmed to Variety.

In its statement, Twitter did not indicate which specific posts by West led to the decision to restrict his account.

More from Variety

The restriction comes after West took to Twitter after facing a similar restriction on Instagram. The musician shared two tweets that have largely been criticized as antisemitic.

The first post has since been deleted by Twitter for “violating the Twitter rules.” In the post, West claimed that he couldn’t be antisemitic and said he had been “toyed with” by the Jewish people.

“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death [sic] con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” West wrote in the now-deleted post. “The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also. You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

A second post, shared closely after the first, remains public on Twitter: “Who do you think created cancel culture?”

A day earlier, a restriction was placed on West’s Instagram account after the platform deleted content from his account for a violation of its policies.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the decision to Variety, sharing that temporary restrictions on posting, commenting and messaging are standard practice for accounts that regularly violate the social media platform’s policies. The company did not indicate which specific posts were the cause behind the restriction.

West, who uses the handle @kanyewest on the platform, had shared a now-deleted post featuring a screenshot of a message, allegedly sent to rapper Diddy, that had been criticized as antisemitic by Jewish advocacy groups like the American Jewish Committee.

Representatives for West were not immediately available for comment.

In the hours following his restriction on Instagram, West took to Twitter for the first moment in some time, seemingly calling out Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for his restriction from the platform.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been engaged in a legal process regarding a potential purchase of Twitter, responded by welcoming West back to the social media platform.

The rapper also shared what seems to be a teaser for a 2024 political campaign, a prospect that he has flirted with in the past.

This does not mark the first time that West has faced restrictions on Instagram. In March, the rapper was suspended from the platform for 24 hours. Content from West’s account was also deleted in that incident for violations of policies for hate speech, bullying and harassment.

West also faced controversy earlier this week after wearing a shirt reading “White Lives Matter” during his surprise Yeezy Season 9 fashion show in Paris. The rapper also appeared for an interview on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Thursday evening to discuss the decision.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next