Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has made a return to X, formerly Twitter, after a decision by Elon Musk based on a user poll. Musk, who sought the community's input on lifting a pre-existing ban on Jones, committed to respecting the result, with around 70% of nearly two million respondents voting in favour of reinstating Jones.
Jones, identified on X with the username "@RealAlexJones," now displays his last post from September 6, 2018—the same day X, formerly Twitter, permanently banned his account and the Infowars website, citing policy violations.
Known for pushing the unfounded claim that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax, Jones faced bans not only on X but also on Facebook and YouTube. Last year, he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion in defamation damages to the families of eight Sandy Hook victims.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson that aired on X on Thursday, Mr. Jones said that users regularly called on Mr. Musk to bring him back to the platform.
“I trend all the time, ‘Hey, if you’re such an absolutist on free speech, bring back Alex Jones,’” Mr. Jones said. “I understand that he needs to go through a process before he does that.”
Under Elon Musk's ownership, X has reinstated many previously suspended accounts, including those of former U.S. President Donald Trump and Andrew Tate.
