Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's account on X that had been banned was reinstated by Elon Musk after nearly five years, on Sunday (Dec 10). The United States conspiracy theorist’s account was reinstated after a poll organised by owner Musk backed his return.&nbsp;

The poll was posted on Saturday (Dec 9) and was active for more than 12 hours. Musk had asked users to vote on whether or not to lift a ban on Jones, which was imposed before he bought the platform, adding that he would listen to the people and honour the result.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/musks-twitter-now-x-sues-non-profit-that-documented-the-rise-in-hate-speech-on-platform-621407">Musk’s Twitter, now X, sues non-profit that documented rise in hate speech on platform</a>

Nearly two million people voted by the time the poll closed and around 70 per cent voted in favour of Jones’ return. In a subsequent post, Musk said, “The people have spoken and so it shall be.”&nbsp;

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Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform? 
 
Vox Populi, Vox Dei.
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While there is no confirmation from Musk, X or Alex Jones himself that his account has been reinstated, his account “@RealAlexJones” no longer indicates that it was banned with the last post from September 6, 2018, the day X, then Twitter, had permanently banned his account and website Infowars from its platform.&nbsp;

At the time, Twitter had said that Jones’ accounts had violated its behaviour policies weeks after most platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Apple had taken down his podcasts and channels citing community standards.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-twitter-account-reappears-after-elon-musk-announces-reinstatement-535683">Musk brings back Trump's Twitter account, but he's not back, yet</a>

<h2>Who is the infamous conspiracy theorist?</h2>

Alex Jones has repeatedly made headlines for all the wrong reasons, including his outlandish conspiracy theories on his website Infowars. However, he is most famous for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting which claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults was “staged” as part of a government plot to seize Americans’ guns.

He has since been ordered to pay $1.5 billion in damages to the victims’ family members by the American courts who said that the Infowars host’s claims have incited death threats and harassment. They also reportedly received regular abuse from his followers on social media, including threats of digging up the coffins of their loved ones.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/aint-going-to-be-happening-alex-jones-denies-to-pay-965-million-damages-to-sandy-hook-victims-families-525426">‘Ain’t going to be happening': Alex Jones refuses to pay $965 million damages to Sandy Hook victims' families</a>

Jones was banned from Twitter&nbsp;in 2018. It is worth noting that Musk, who is a self-described free-speech absolutist, had previously ignored calls from the Infowars host’s supporters to reinstate his account.&nbsp;

The X owner cited the death of his 10-week-old baby, in 2022, as motivation for not reversing the ban saying, “I have no mercy for anyone who would use the death of children for gain, politics or fame.”

Musk, on Saturday in response to one user’s post, said he “vehemently” disagreed with Jones’ statements about Sandy Hook, adding “but are we a platform that believes in freedom of speech or are we not?”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's account on X that had been banned was reinstated by Elon Musk after nearly five years, on Sunday (Dec 10). The United States conspiracy theorist’s account was reinstated after a poll organised by owner Musk backed his return.

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's account on X that had been banned was reinstated by Elon Musk after nearly five years, on Sunday (Dec 10). The United States conspiracy theorist’s account was reinstated after a poll organised by owner Musk backed his return. The poll was posted on Saturday (Dec 9) and was active for more than 12 hours. Musk had asked users to vote on whether or not to lift a ban on Jones, which was imposed before he bought the platform, adding that he would listen to the people and honour the result. ALSO READ | Musk’s Twitter, now X, sues non-profit that documented rise in hate speech on platform Nearly two million people voted by the time the poll closed and around 70 per cent voted in favour of Jones’ return. In a subsequent post, Musk said, “The people have spoken and so it shall be.” Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform? Vox Populi, Vox Dei. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2023 × While there is no confirmation from Musk, X or Alex Jones himself that his account has been reinstated, his account “@RealAlexJones” no longer indicates that it was banned with the last post from September 6, 2018, the day X, then Twitter, had permanently banned his account and website Infowars from its platform. At the time, Twitter had said that Jones’ accounts had violated its behaviour policies weeks after most platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Google, and Apple had taken down his podcasts and channels citing community standards. ALSO READ | Musk brings back Trump's Twitter account, but he's not back, yet Who is the infamous conspiracy theorist? Alex Jones has repeatedly made headlines for all the wrong reasons, including his outlandish conspiracy theories on his website Infowars. However, he is most famous for falsely claiming that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting which claimed the lives of 20 children and six adults was “staged” as part of a government plot to seize Americans’ guns. He has since been ordered to pay $1.5 billion in damages to the victims’ family members by the American courts who said that the Infowars host’s claims have incited death threats and harassment. They also reportedly received regular abuse from his followers on social media, including threats of digging up the coffins of their loved ones. ALSO READ | ‘Ain’t going to be happening': Alex Jones refuses to pay $965 million damages to Sandy Hook victims' families Jones was banned from Twitter in 2018. It is worth noting that Musk, who is a self-described free-speech absolutist, had previously ignored calls from the Infowars host’s supporters to reinstate his account. The X owner cited the death of his 10-week-old baby, in 2022, as motivation for not reversing the ban saying, “I have no mercy for anyone who would use the death of children for gain, politics or fame.” Musk, on Saturday in response to one user’s post, said he “vehemently” disagreed with Jones’ statements about Sandy Hook, adding “but are we a platform that believes in freedom of speech or are we not?” (With inputs from agencies)

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' account reinstated on X after being banned for nearly five years

On the tenth-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy that shocked America, U.S. President Joe Biden said that the country should feel a "collective guilt" for its failure to tackle gun violence.&nbsp;Biden said that he is "determined" to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines like the ones used in what is often considered US' worst-ever school shooting.

Watch |&nbsp;Survivors recount horrors of Sandy Hook School Shooting after 10 years

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He added the nation has a "moral obligation to pass and enforce laws that can prevent these things from happening again."

20 first graders, aged six or seven years, and six school employees lost their lives in the deadly shooting in Newton, Connecticut. Armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, a 20-year-old man named Adam Lanza went on a shooting spree before killing himself.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-ordered-to-pay-965-million-in-damages-to-sandy-hook-victims-families-524925">Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ordered to pay $965 million in damages to Sandy Hook victims' families</a>

The shooting as per AFP not only shocked America but also renewed the divisive fight between pro-life and pro-gun supporters. A decade later, the debate still continues.

Another thing it did was led to a heightening of security measures at schools; schools reinforced their doors, and windows, students were taught how to respond to an "active shooter" situation, while staff underwent training on how to barricade classrooms.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/american-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-declares-bankruptcy-in-texas-court-539562">American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones declares bankruptcy in Texas court</a>

However, tougher restrictions on guns remained missing.

In May of this year, a similar shooting in Uvalde, Texas claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. In the&nbsp;aftermath of this tragedy, tougher national restrictions on guns expanding background checks and reinforcing measures to take away dangerous weapons from potentially dangerous people were passed.

But still, a law that expired in 2004, which banned military-style large-capacity weapons remains missing from action. Even after the country suffers through mass shootings, the vital law hasn't been renewed as it falls short of winning the backing of the second amendment supporting Republicans.

(With inputs from agencies)

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

On the tenth-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy that shocked America, U.S. President Joe Biden said that the country should feel a "collective guilt" for its failure to tackle gun violence.

On the tenth-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook elementary school tragedy that shocked America, U.S. President Joe Biden said that the country should feel a "collective guilt" for its failure to tackle gun violence. Biden said that he is "determined" to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines like the ones used in what is often considered US' worst-ever school shooting. Watch | Survivors recount horrors of Sandy Hook School Shooting after 10 years He added the nation has a "moral obligation to pass and enforce laws that can prevent these things from happening again." 20 first graders, aged six or seven years, and six school employees lost their lives in the deadly shooting in Newton, Connecticut. Armed with an AR-15 assault rifle, a 20-year-old man named Adam Lanza went on a shooting spree before killing himself. Also read | Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ordered to pay $965 million in damages to Sandy Hook victims' families The shooting as per AFP not only shocked America but also renewed the divisive fight between pro-life and pro-gun supporters. A decade later, the debate still continues. Another thing it did was led to a heightening of security measures at schools; schools reinforced their doors, and windows, students were taught how to respond to an "active shooter" situation, while staff underwent training on how to barricade classrooms. Also read | American conspiracy theorist Alex Jones declares bankruptcy in Texas court However, tougher restrictions on guns remained missing. In May of this year, a similar shooting in Uvalde, Texas claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. In the aftermath of this tragedy, tougher national restrictions on guns expanding background checks and reinforcing measures to take away dangerous weapons from potentially dangerous people were passed. But still, a law that expired in 2004, which banned military-style large-capacity weapons remains missing from action. Even after the country suffers through mass shootings, the vital law hasn't been renewed as it falls short of winning the backing of the second amendment supporting Republicans. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

10 years after Sandy Hook school shooting, Biden says ‘determined’ to ban assault weapons

Wednesday marks 10 years since a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and took the lives of 20 children and six adults. All of this happened just 11 days before Christmas when kids and families were supposed to be celebrating together.

Survivors recount horrors of Sandy Hook School Shooting after 10 years

A Connecticut judge has ruled that Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay USD 473 million for his defamatory claims about the Sandy Hook mass shooting.

Jones falsely claimed that victims of Sandy Hook mass shooting were actors who staged the shooting at the behest of US government that allegedly&nbsp;plotted to seize Americans' guns.

In a separate order late Wednesday (November 09), the judge, Barbara Bellis, temporarily blocked Jones from moving any personal assets out of the country. The ruling came at the request of the plaintiffs, who claim Jones is trying to hide assets to avoid paying.

Jones is now on the hook for a total of $1.49 billion in damages in two Sandy Hook defamation cases that went to trial this year. A third case is pending in Texas.

Right to bear arms are enshrined in US Constitution and gun lobby wields enormous political power in the country. Easily available arms are often topic of debate that gets renewed every time a mass shooting takes place.

On December 14, 2012, a gunman murdered his mother, then killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School before killing himself. The conspiracy theories amplified by Infowars on its website, social media and a show hosted by Jones led to years of threats and other harassment of the parents of the murdered children.

In their request for punitive damages, the plaintiffs said Jones should pay the maximum penalty available for the "historic" scale of his wrongdoing and "utter lack of repentance." Jones has since acknowledged the shooting took place but refused to apologize to the families during his trial testimony.

In a statement, plaintiffs' attorney Chris Mattei said the ruling "serves to reinforce the message of this case: Those who profit from lies targeting the innocent will face justice.”

Jones' lawyer, Norm Pattis, said in a statement that "the verdict was tragedy, this latest ruling is farce. It makes our work in appeal that much easier.”

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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A Connecticut judge has ruled that Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay USD 473 million for his defamatory claims about the Sandy Hook mass shooting.

A Connecticut judge has ruled that Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones must pay USD 473 million for his defamatory claims about the Sandy Hook mass shooting. Jones falsely claimed that victims of Sandy Hook mass shooting were actors who staged the shooting at the behest of US government that allegedly plotted to seize Americans' guns. In a separate order late Wednesday (November 09), the judge, Barbara Bellis, temporarily blocked Jones from moving any personal assets out of the country. The ruling came at the request of the plaintiffs, who claim Jones is trying to hide assets to avoid paying. Jones is now on the hook for a total of $1.49 billion in damages in two Sandy Hook defamation cases that went to trial this year. A third case is pending in Texas. Right to bear arms are enshrined in US Constitution and gun lobby wields enormous political power in the country. Easily available arms are often topic of debate that gets renewed every time a mass shooting takes place. On December 14, 2012, a gunman murdered his mother, then killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School before killing himself. The conspiracy theories amplified by Infowars on its website, social media and a show hosted by Jones led to years of threats and other harassment of the parents of the murdered children. In their request for punitive damages, the plaintiffs said Jones should pay the maximum penalty available for the "historic" scale of his wrongdoing and "utter lack of repentance." Jones has since acknowledged the shooting took place but refused to apologize to the families during his trial testimony. In a statement, plaintiffs' attorney Chris Mattei said the ruling "serves to reinforce the message of this case: Those who profit from lies targeting the innocent will face justice.” Jones' lawyer, Norm Pattis, said in a statement that "the verdict was tragedy, this latest ruling is farce. It makes our work in appeal that much easier.” You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Sandy Hook defamation: Infowars' Alex Jones ordered to pay USD 473 million

Alex Jones, the infamous conspiracy theorist, has been ordered by a jury in the United States to pay $965 million in damages to the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, where a gunman killed 20 children and six staff members.&nbsp;

This is the second tranche of damages that Jones has been ordered to pay after a Texas court last year ordered the founder of InfoWars to pay $49.3 million to separate parents of the shooting incident.&nbsp;

The judgement followed a three-week trial where both parties gave testimonies in Waterbury, Connecticut. After nearly a decade of claiming that the Sandy Hook shooting was a staged government plot only to enforce gun control laws, Jones has&nbsp;acknowledged that the attack was 100 per cent real.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/alex-jones-infowars-files-for-bankruptcy-in-us-court-472010">Read more:&nbsp;Alex Jones' InfoWars files for bankruptcy in US court</a>

As reported extensively by WION, Jones was found liable for damages in a trio of lawsuits last year. Since then, he has been running from pillar to post to plead his innocence.&nbsp;

Reportedly, in the final round of testimonies last week, Jones gave a rather impassioned speech and said, "I've already said I'm sorry hundreds of times, and I'm done saying I'm sorry."&nbsp;

The dramatic testimony managed to bring a few teary eyes in the courtroom but the six-member jury was not to be swayed.&nbsp;

However, this is not the end of Jones' problems. He is expected to face a third defamation trial which takes place in Texas later this year, in connection with the shooting.&nbsp;

For years, Jones used lies to drive traffic to his Infowars website and managed to create a&nbsp;following. However, earlier this year,&nbsp;Free Speech Systems, the&nbsp;parent company of InfoWars filed for US bankruptcy protection.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-owned-free-speech-systems-files-for-bankruptcy-501981">Read more:&nbsp;Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones owned Free Speech Systems files for bankruptcy</a>

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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Alex Jones, the infamous conspiracy theorist, has been ordered by a jury in the United States to pay $965 million in damages to the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, where a gunman killed 20 children and six staff members.

Alex Jones, the infamous conspiracy theorist, has been ordered by a jury in the United States to pay $965 million in damages to the families of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, where a gunman killed 20 children and six staff members. This is the second tranche of damages that Jones has been ordered to pay after a Texas court last year ordered the founder of InfoWars to pay $49.3 million to separate parents of the shooting incident. The judgement followed a three-week trial where both parties gave testimonies in Waterbury, Connecticut. After nearly a decade of claiming that the Sandy Hook shooting was a staged government plot only to enforce gun control laws, Jones has acknowledged that the attack was 100 per cent real. Read more: Alex Jones' InfoWars files for bankruptcy in US court As reported extensively by WION, Jones was found liable for damages in a trio of lawsuits last year. Since then, he has been running from pillar to post to plead his innocence. Reportedly, in the final round of testimonies last week, Jones gave a rather impassioned speech and said, "I've already said I'm sorry hundreds of times, and I'm done saying I'm sorry." The dramatic testimony managed to bring a few teary eyes in the courtroom but the six-member jury was not to be swayed. However, this is not the end of Jones' problems. He is expected to face a third defamation trial which takes place in Texas later this year, in connection with the shooting. For years, Jones used lies to drive traffic to his Infowars website and managed to create a following. However, earlier this year, Free Speech Systems, the parent company of InfoWars filed for US bankruptcy protection. Read more: Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones owned Free Speech Systems files for bankruptcy (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ordered to pay $965 million in damages to Sandy Hook victims' families

A US jury has ordered Infowars owner Alex Jones on Wednesday to pay victims' families $965 million in damages for falsely claiming that the deadly 2012 Sandy Hook elementary school shooting was a hoax.

Infowars owner Alex Jones ordered to pay Sandy Hook victims' families $965 mn over hoax claims

Families of victims killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have reached an agreement to settle a lawsuit against the gun manufacturer company Remington, for $73 million.

Gunmaker Remington to pay $73 million to families of Sandy Hook victims

The families of nine victims killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have agreed to a $73 million settlement of a lawsuit against the gun manufacturer Remington and its four insurers.

Families of nine Sandy Hook victims reach $73 million settlement with gunmaker