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White Nationalist Richard Spencer Was Banned From Twitter. But He Just Got His Account Back

By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
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By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
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December 12, 2016, 10:23 AM ET
Alternative Right White Nationalist In Town For Conference
Photo by The Washington Post — Getty Images
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Richard Spencer, the self-proclaimed white nationalist, is back on Twitter.

Spencer, a leader of the “alt-right” movement, was banned from the site in November as Twitter (TWTR) introduced new anti-harassment tools in an effort to curb abuse and hate speech on the platform.

But on Saturday night, his account reappeared—with the special blue verification check mark reinstated, a symbol given to “notable users to confirm they are who they say they are,” notes the Guardian. And despite reports that his account was originally suspended for “hateful conduct,” Spencer was actually banned for violating the site’s policy by having “multiple, overlapping accounts,” a Twitter spokesperson confirmed to Fortune.

Spencer’s two other accounts—one for his white nationalist think tank, and another for his magazine—were also banned in November, but have not been restored. According to the spokesperson, he was allowed to choose one account for reinstatement.

 

At the time of his suspension, Spencer said in a video that the ban was “corporate Stalinism” adding that “there is a great purge going on, and they are purging people on the basis of their views.” The suspension of others associated with the alt-right—such as Pax Dickinson, Paul Town, Ricky Vaughn and John Rivers—led some to believe that Twitter was purging the site of political views it didn’t agree with, the Post reports.

As long as Spencer “compl[ies] fully with the Twitter Rules,” the company first told the Washington Post, he will be able to keep his Twitter account.

This article has been updated to reflect comment from Twitter.

Correction: The original version of this story incorrectly stated that Richard Spencer’s Twitter account had not been verified prior to its removal in November. According to Twitter, it had already been verified.

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