Twitter banned British conspiracy theorist David Icke today, citing its policy on Covid-19 pandemic misinformation. Icke, a former soccer star and commentator, believes the world is secretly dominated by a race of interdimensional reptilian beings called the Annunaki. But it's his claims about 5G radio transmissions and Covid-19 that already got him booted from Facebook and from YouTube; Twitter was his last mainstream redoubt.
His recent posts had included attacks on Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci and the philanthropist Bill Gates. In a blog [post], Mr Icke said was banned for a tweet he had made about plans to pilot city-wide coronavirus testing in Liverpool. But over recent months he has made false claims such as suggesting that 5G mobile phone networks were linked to the spread of the virus, and that a Jewish group had also been involved.
Icke was both ruined and remade by a legendary prime time interview on the BBC in 1991. In retrospect—consider his international success lately, and the growing prevalence of conspiracy theories— it's a good example of how platforming something, even to mock it, can ultimately give it the last laugh.
