Kanye West locked out of Instagram and Twitter after antisemitic posts
Instagram and Twitter have suspended Kanye “Ye” West after the rapper shared a series of antisemitic statements on both social media platforms.
A spokesperson for Instagram parent company Meta told the Los Angeles Times on Monday that the platform had removed content from West’s page that violated its policies in addition to restricting the musician’s account. A representative for Twitter also confirmed Monday that the app had locked West’s account for breaking its rules.
On Instagram last week, West shared a screenshot of an antisemitic text message he sent fellow rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs claiming that Combs was controlled by Jewish people, according to NBC. The post can no longer be found on West’s Instagram grid.
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After his Instagram post ignited a backlash, West threatened via Twitter to “go death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” per internet archive records reviewed by the Associated Press. The since-deleted tweet seemed to refer to the United States’ military readiness condition scale known as DEFCON.
“You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,” West wrote in the same tweet.
Many also denounced West for accusing former White House senior advisor Jared Kushner, who is Jewish, of brokering the Abraham Accords for his own financial gain during Donald Trump’s presidency. West disparaged Kushner and his family in an interview last week with conservative Fox News pundit Tucker Carlson.
In a tweet, the Anti-Defamation League deemed West’s behavior inexcusable, “deeply troubling, dangerous, and antisemitic, period.”
“Power. Disloyalty. Greed. Deicide. Blood. Denial. Anti-Zionism. All of these are antisemitic tropes,” the ADL added in a follow-up tweet. “Many of these myths have influenced @KanyeWest’s comments recently.”
While speaking with Carlson, West also made insensitive remarks about Lizzo’s weight — which the “About Damn Time” singer seemed to address this weekend during a concert in Toronto.
“Everybody in America got my m— name in their m— mouth for no m— reason,” she told the crowd. “I’m minding my fat, Black, beautiful business.”
It’s unclear how long the restrictions on West’s Twitter and Instagram accounts will remain in place. As of Monday morning, the hip-hop performer hadn’t posted anything on either platform since Saturday.
This isn’t the first time a social media platform has taken action against West. Earlier this year, Instagram suspended West after the Grammy winner directed a racist slur at “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah. According to a Meta spokesperson, Instagram may temporarily restrict violators from posting, commenting or sending direct messages.
Following his most recent Instagram suspension, West took to Twitter to ask Meta executive Mark Zuckerberg, “How you gone kick me off instagram?”
Kanye West, who has been embroiled in controversy this week, appeared on Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson’s show Thursday for a sprawling interview.
West’s antisemitic outburst came shortly after Combs publicly disapproved of the “Gold Digger” hitmaker’s decision to wear a “White Lives Matter” shirt to Paris Fashion Week. Amid widespread criticism from the fashion community and beyond, West doubled down on the stunt and called the Black Lives Matter movement “a scam.”
In a statement provided last week to TMZ, the Black Lives Matter Grassroots organization opposed West and conservative pundit Candace Owens wearing the “White Lives Matter” shirts in Paris. The social justice group said the “White Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” slogans have “long served as violent retorts to the Black Lives Matter movement, used by white supremacists and hate groups, including the Ku Klux Klan.”
Unable to use Twitter or Instagram, West on Monday turned to YouTube. In a half-hour video diary titled “Last Week” — with a thumbnail that reads “War” — the vocalist rapped some bars encouraging his critics to “go listen to Drake, b—.”
“You don’t have no idea what it take, b—,” he continued. “Trynna pass judgment on me like I ain’t s— / I’m too much of a real one for a fake b—.”
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