Social Media

Twitter Permanently Bans Former KKK Leader David Duke

The company says the former KKK leader repeatedly violated hate speech rules.

Twitter Permanently Bans Former KKK Leader David Duke
AP
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Twitter has permanently banned former KKK leader David Duke.

The company said on Friday Duke had repeatedly violated its rules forbidding hate speech. Twitter's hateful conduct policy bans promoting violence against or inciting fear about others based on a wide range of demographic categories.

Twitter said Duke's ban was related to a new policy that aims to close a loophole where people shared links to pages with hateful content. BBC reports his final tweet linked to an interview he conducted with a man convicted in Germany of Holocaust denial. In late June, YouTube banned him and other prominent white supremacists.

The non-profit Southern Poverty Law Center called the move "long overdue" but a step in the right direction.

Additional reporting from the Associated Press.