• Twitter is joining other prominent tech companies in muzzling Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist who's accused of using social media services to spread false information. Twitter had been resisting making such a move despite public pressure, including some from its own employees. But late Tuesday, Twitter said it suspended Jones' personal account for seven days because he violated the company's rules against inciting violence. Twitter said Jones, whose Infowars shows have been banned by Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Apple and others in recent weeks, had posted a new show that violated the company's rules prohibiting violent threats. On the show, which was published on Twitter's video-streaming service Periscope, Jones told supporters to get their "battle rifles" ready against anti-fascist Antifa movement, the mainstream media and Chinese communist operatives, whom he described using a disparaging term. Under the suspension, Jones won't be able to tweet or retweet, though he will be able to browse Twitter. The punishment is light compared with that of Apple, YouTube and Spotify, which permanently removed material Jones had published. Facebook, meanwhile, suspended him for 30 days and took down four of his pages, including two for Infowars. The show still has a Twitter account. The company has policies against harassment and hate speech but does not ban accounts for posting false information. Executives said the company is monitoring behaviors such as trolling more closely.
• Actor Liev Schreiber is denying allegations that he attacked a photographer while he was in suburban New York filming the popular Showtime series Ray Donovan. The 50-year-old faces a harassment charged after photographer Sherwood Martinelli said Schreiber damaged his camera when he tried to photograph him on June 7. Schreiber appeared in a Nyack courthouse on Tuesday with his lawyer to ask a judge to dismiss the charge. The judge has set a Sept. 20 court date to decide on the dismissal motion. "I never touched him. I never touched his body with my body," Schreiber said outside the courthouse. His attorney, Jonathan Ripps, said Schreiber is accused of pushing the camera away after its flash went off. Ripps said the allegation "doesn't rise to the level of any law being broken." Martinelli, who was at the hearing snapping photos, shouted "liar" as the actor got into his car and drove away. "It's a total, complete miscarriage of justice," Martinelli said. "It just proves that the justice system ... is only for the rich and elite. Because he's somebody special, he's getting away with this."
A Section on 08/16/2018