Social media platform X is set to reinstate the handle of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones after a poll by the platform’s owner, Elon Musk.
Under the former leadership of the social media platform, Jones was barred from using it in 2018 for violating its policies about aggressive behavior.
Musk posted a poll on Saturday night inquiring as to whether Jones’ account ought to be restored.
By the time the poll concluded, about two million votes had been cast, with roughly 70% of voters supporting Jones’ comeback.
Musk wrote, “The people have spoken, and so it shall be.”
Jones is the host of his own radio show, The Alex Jones Show, and the owner of the conspiracy theory website InfoWars.
The 49-year-old has gained notoriety for his deceptive claims that the Sandy Hook school massacre in 2012, which claimed the lives of 20 children and 6 adults, was “staged” as a means of enforcing stricter gun control measures.
Jones has also propagated conspiracy theories about the 9/11 and Oklahoma City terror attacks. Jones is prohibited from using other social media sites including Facebook and YouTube.
As part of his professed goal to advance free expression, Musk has been bringing back contentious personalities to the social media platform since completing his $44 billion (£38 billion) buyout of the site in October of last year.
Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the far-right English Defence League, and Katie Hopkins, a prominent media figure, had their accounts restored last month following restrictions imposed by Twitter’s former owners.
Similar to Jones, Musk conducted a survey to determine whether to allow former US President Donald Trump to return to the platform following his ban during the Capitol riots.
