Trump-Loving US Congressman Sues Twitter for $250 Million Alleging Anti-Conservative Bias

U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes is suing Twitter and selected users for $250 million, alleging something he calls “anti-conservative bias,” “shadow bans,” and “smears.”

The Republican Congressman from California is claiming Twitter and “a handful of its users,” according to Fox News, have been “‘shadow-banning conservatives’ including himself to influence the 2018 elections, explicitly and systematically censoring opposing viewpoints and ‘ignoring’ lawful complaints of repeated abusive behavior.

“Shadow-banning” is when a social media platform narrows the scope of someone’s reach or bans them but allows them to operate normally, but does not allow anyone else to see their posts. It’s often done on some platforms to discourage banned users from opening new accounts, and is not illegal.

Congressman Nunes, now the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, “said Twitter was guilty of ‘knowingly hosting and monetizing content that is clearly abusive, hateful and defamatory – providing both a voice and financial incentive to the defamers – thereby facilitating defamation on its platform.'”

Among the small number of users Nunes included in his lawsuit is one account named “Devin Nunes’ Mom,” which was suspended only when Devin Nunes’ mother allegedly complained to Twitter.

Fox News included this tweet in its reporting as an example of alleged defamation Nunes cites:

The grandstanding Trump-protector and conspiracy-theory loving far right Republican Congressman is perhaps best-known for claiming he had discovered bombshell evidence alleging that U.S. intelligence agencies were secretly intercepting communications on the Trump transition team, and that whistleblowers had given him this information. Those were not “whistleblowers” but Trump administration officials.