Skip to main content

Twitter kicks troll Charles Johnson to the curb for threatening an activist

charles johnson twitter troll ban news
Months after Twitter first announced its plan to crack down on trolls and make the social media platform a safer environment for all, it has taken one large step towards making good on its promises. On Sunday, Charles Johnson, Twitter troll extraordinaire, was banned from the site, after he advocated for the “taking out” of DeRay McKesson, a well-known civil rights and social justice activist.

Not only was his main Twitter account, @ChuckCJohnson suspended, but accounts created after the initial suspension, including @citizentrolling and @freechucknow, have also been banned. Johnson and his lawyers have threatened legal action, but for now, we can all breathe a sigh of collective relief.

Related Videos

This is at least the fourth time that Johnson and his bigoted, racist, sexist commentary has landed him in hot water with Twitter, but this latest incident may finally be the straw that breaks the too-strong camel’s back. McKesson responded to Johnson’s threat on Twitter, writing, “So, I woke up to this. Hate is organized in America. & yes, I take this as a serious threat.” And apparently, Twitter agreed.

However, to Johnson, his consistent online abuse and battery is simply a more non-traditional form of investigative reporting and good journalism. Taking to his blog, GotNews.com, Johnson wrote, “Twitter has a serious problem with investigative journalism that breaks the mold.”

He continued, “Twitter doesn’t seem to have a problem with people using their service to coordinate riots, but they do have a problem with the kind of journalism I do.” If that kind of journalism is muckracking and the general falsification of fact, then Johnson may be right. This is, after all, the man who insists that Obama is gay, that blacks are intellectually subpar when compared to whites, and that homosexuality is to blame for the recent Amtrak derailment.

Of course, just because Twitter is finally taking a seemingly harsher stance against Johnson doesn’t mean that this troll has gone to bed. He’ll be redoubling his efforts on his blog, on Facebook, and on Reddit, where he’s pledged to hold an “Ask Me Anything” session. But friends, if there’s one troll you don’t want to feed, its name is Charles Johnson.

Editors' Recommendations

Turkey bans Facebook and Twitter over images of deadly Ankara bombing
turkey coup social media turkish flag daniel snelson flickr

Social media users across Turkey have been blocked from accessing Twitter and Facebook following a court-ordered ban.

The move comes in the wake of a deadly bombing, which has thus far seen possibly as many as 37 people killed (the exact number is unconfirmed) and 125 wounded in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Sunday.

Read more
Revenge porn posted by George Zimmerman got him kicked off Twitter
twitter experiencing outages worldwide app

He may have been acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin, but George Zimmerman was just found guilty of breaking Twitter's rules. The controversy-plagued Floridian who first made headlines in 2012 for shooting and killing the unarmed teen Martin has continued in infamy ever since, consistently making headlines for problematic behavior. Most recently, he took to Twitter to post semi-nude photos of a woman (not reproduced here) he claims is his ex-girlfriend, who he says "cheated on [him] with a dirty Muslim." Also included in his first tweet (yes there was more than one) was the woman's alleged phone number.

In a second tweet, Zimmerman asked if he "went too far," though the question was clearly rhetorical -- he then proceeded to post her email address, and accused her of stealing "a gun and cash" from him. Since then, his Twitter account has been suspended.

Read more
Singer David Draiman of heavy metal’s Disturbed had enough of trolls, quits Twitter
singer david draiman of heavy metals disturbed had enough trolls quits twitter razvan orendovici flickr

David Draiman may not be a household name unless you're into heavy metal music. But the frontman for the band, Disturbed, was very active on Twitter and had a sizeable following. However, he recently decided to give it all up, permanently quitting the social network. The reason, according to Draiman, is because trolls.

Draiman is the son of Israelis and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, and he used his Twitter profile and fame to tweet support for Israel with regard to the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict in the Middle East, as well as defending the faith from attackers.

Read more