Twitter suspended pro-Trump news website ZeroHedge after the site spread a coronavirus conspiracy theory and doxxed a Chinese scientist.
ZeroHedge tried to put a face on the coronavirus outbreak. The controversial media outlet was immediately suspended by Twitter, possibly for doxxing a Chinese scientist. | Image: CDC via AP
Twitter suspended the pro-Trump market news website ZeroHedge Friday. Followers discovered the website’s timeline had disappeared. An account suspension announcement, and link to Twitter’s rules were in its place.
The website’s followers were shocked, but not surprised at the suspension. It’s hardly ZeroHedge’s first run-in with major social media and news platforms.
Facebook banned the website in March last year. But they reversed the ban the next day and said it was “a mistake.” Zerohedge said it was thrilled with the outpouring of support online during the 24 hours it was banned.
On the #ZeroHedge hashtag, someone pointed out the last update from the website was coronavirus related. The tweet linked to a ZeroHedge post headlined:
Coronavirus Contains “HIV Insertions”, Stoking Fears Over Artificially Created Bioweapon
The article features a conspiracy theory that the Wuhan coronavirus was manufactured in a lab. In other words, that it’s a biological weapon. But it expands on the theory with claims that there are genetic similarities between the virus and HIV.
It’s a disturbing conspiracy theory, but it’s unconfirmed.
On Wednesday, ZeroHedge published a post headlined:
Is This The Man Behind The Global Coronavirus Pandemic?
It accused a Chinese scientist of creating the coronavirus as a biological weapon. And it published his picture, name, email address and telephone number.
Then encouraged readers to pay him a visit.
Something tells us, if anyone wants to find out what really caused the coronavirus pandemic that has infected thousands of people in China and around the globe, they should probably pay […] a visit.
Or at least start with an email: […] can be reached at […], and his phone# is […].
The article is still upon ZeroHedge’s website at the time of publication. It’s probably no coincidence that BuzzFeed reported the doxxing two hours before Twitter suspended ZeroHedge’s account.
This article was edited by Sam Bourgi.
Last modified: February 1, 2020 4:04 PM UTC