As many users rejoice after hearing the news of Andrew Tate’s ban from Instagram and Facebook, some of the internet’s biggest influencers are taking a stand against this so-called censorship.
On August 19, the news broke that the hot button kickboxer turned influencer Andrew Tate had been banned from Facebook and Instagram. Parent company Meta stated it had removed Tate from its platforms for “violating its policies on dangerous organizations and individuals”.
A large number of users across various social media platforms were relieved to hear Tate would no longer be able to influence his 4.7 million Instagram followers. Tate has been at the center of numerous controversies, with his views being called ‘misogynistic’, and a history of female abuse allegations.
However, several larger influencers have taken to Twitter, calling out Meta for “censoring” Andrew Tate and “encroaching on his freedom of speech”. The likes of Jake Paul, SomeOrdinaryGamer, and FaZe Ronaldo are among those who have spoken out against the ban.
Both of these statements are true:1) I don’t agree with a lot Andrew Tate’s opinions2) I don’t agree with censorship Who is with me?
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) August 20, 2022
Influencers take a stand against Andrew Tate ban
Early on August 20, Jake Paul shared his thoughts regarding the Andrew Tate ban. He tweeted, “Both of these statements are true: 1) I don’t agree with a lot Andrew Tate’s opinions 2) I don’t agree with censorship”.
Paul’s defense comes just over a week after he brutally roasted the former kickboxer on the Impaulsive podcast. During the roast he claimed all of Tate’s fans were virgins and poked holes in the ‘Top G’s’ problematic dogma.
Banning Andrew Tate is dumb. Ideas should be challenged and if he spreads misinformation it should be countered in the public sphere.
— Mutahar (@OrdinaryGamers) August 19, 2022
Another creator who expressed their distaste for Andrew Tate’s ban was Mutahar, a YouTuber more commonly referred to as SomeOrdinaryGamer. He stated, “Banning Andrew Tate is dumb. Ideas should be challenged and if he spreads misinformation it should be countered in the public sphere.”
He went on to clarify that his stance was not condoning Tate’s ideology, but rather advocating for influencers to be challenged on the platforms where they have presence. “If you actually believe bans do something it only amplifies his shitty message onto more users through alternative platforms.”
Regardless of whether banning is the correct decision- the idea that truth prevails in the public sphere has repeatedly been proven falsePeople just move to spheres that agree with their truth
— ludwig (@LudwigAhgren) August 20, 2022
YouTube streamer Ludwig replied to Mutahar stating, “Regardless of whether banning is the correct decision- the idea that truth prevails in the public sphere has repeatedly been proven false People just move to spheres that agree with their truth.”
You can not agree with Andrew Tate, But isnt banning him on like stuff just saying he cant have freedom of speech… lol
— FaZe Ronaldo (@StableRonaldo) August 19, 2022
Recently signed FaZe Clan member and professional Fortnite player Ronaldo also added his take. He stated, “You can not agree with Andrew Tate, But isn’t banning him on like stuff just saying he cant have freedom of speech… lol”.
However, there were several larger influencers who felt Andrew Tate’s ban was justified. The argument was made several times that his “dangerous” beliefs warranted a platform ban despite numerous users seeing it as an attack on his freedom of speech.