Katie Hopkins banned from Twitter

[Lightofthephoenix]

About bloody time!

What prompted the ban, do you know?

I don't agree with her views but I also don't agree with the banning/cancelling/silencing of people either so can't get on board with this.

I too don't agree with what she says most of the time but don't support a ban. What was she said?

@022828MAN

I don't agree with her views but I also don't agree with the banning/cancelling/silencing of people either so can't get on board with this.

This. Free speech is a fundamental human right, however little we like to hear some of it. Nobody has the right not to be offended (to quote somebody extremely erudite whose name escapes me).

Free speech is a fundamental human right, however little we like to hear some of it.
Not in this country it's not.
Hate speech and provoking hatred are not permitted in the UK or most of the EU and rightly so.

The USA is out of kilter allowing race hate speech to go unchallenged.

Other countries restrict speech too much.
But the UK gets it roughly right.

Freedom of speech/expression maybe a human right but there are limitations.

Amnesty International say this

Freedom of speech is the right to say whatever you like about whatever you like, whenever you like, right? Wrong.

'Freedom of speech is the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, by any means.'

Freedom of speech and the right to freedom of expression applies to ideas of all kinds including those that may be deeply offensive. But it comes with responsibilities and we believe it can be legitimately restricted.

When freedom of speech can be restricted

You might not expect us to say this, but in certain circumstances free speech and freedom of expression can be restricted.

Governments have an obligation to prohibit hate speech and incitement. And restrictions can also be justified if they protect specific public interest or the rights and reputations of others.

She tweeted about Marcus Rashford and his campaign for free dinners for children in the holidays:

"Do you think women should think about how they are going to feed a child before they decide to have it?

"I do not want to pay to feed other people’s kids. You are welcome to."

That caused uproar.

Twitter is a private entity, they can ban anyone they like from using their services if they don’t want to host that person’s content. No-one has the “right” to have their speech hosted by a company.

Such a shame, her sarcasm and quick wit amused me.
It's also a good idea to hear things from a different angle before making an opinion on a situation.
I don't agree with KH to not extend the school meals through the summer holidays but it's a reasonable to look into how things are financed.
Regardless of where the money comes from, children shouldn't go hungry.

I disagree with what she said but she should have the right to say it. I do not agree with this level of censorship

She really is the worst of British, but if we want people like J.K Rowling to be able to express a currently unpopular opinion then we should allow people we don't agree with the same freedom. Tbf KH probably loves the notoriety.

I loathe the woman but how can she be banned and not people like Trump? This will just give her further notoriety. She needs to be ignored and nothing else. I’m fact I already regret posting on this thread

As much as I dislike her and her views, I think its a tricky one, for people who don’t hold vile views it is a reminder that she is a vile person, however a small number of people with equally small IQs see her posts as gospel. Sadly those with a low IQ often have loud voices.

There's a quote something along the lines of "I don't agree with what you say, but I defend your right to say it".

That.

She is an odious little woman, but is entitled to her opinions as anyone else. Marcus Rashford's response was the best.

She's skint so needs to cause an uproar.

People have a really distorted view of what "free speech" means. As already said, we don't have completely free speech in the U.K. anyway but even in America, free speech might mean you can SAY whatever you like - that doesn't mean there won't be consequences for this.

Furthermore, twitter is a private company with their own rules and guidelines which they can enforce however they see fit. Have the right to free speech doesn't mean you have to right to spout whatever nonsense you like on social media.

Katie Hopkins has been making her money through spreading hate for YEARS. She'll no doubt be back on twitter but I'm glad Twitter are upholding their own rules.

Thinking back to her time on This Morning, moaning about children's names and Hollie correcting her.

Twitter can do what they like. It's their company, not a public library.
If they find that the presence of the likes of her causes offense to their black/minority ethnic customers, thereby harming their brand, then the decision is obvious. Twitter etc don't owe anyone a platform. Its a privilege granted by obeying THEIR rules (not that of the UK government), not an absolute right. This is often forgotten.

She's skint so needs to cause an uproar

I thought it was only the other Katie that did that.

Please give over with the misquoted Voltaire.

Freedom of speech is not the right to a platform. Twitter is a business, not a public place. Just like Mumsnet, or would you like racist hate speech here also?

If I come in your house and call you a cunt, would you kick me out? Or be there defending my free speech.

I'm with the OP anyone that says asylum seekers should be left to drown and liken them to cockroaches amongst many many other acts of hatred should not have a public platform. Hurrah.

Trump should be next.

‘And no practical definition of freedom would be complete without the freedom to take the consequences. Indeed, it is the freedom upon which all the others are based.’

That Terry Pratchett was a clever bloke. I doubt Katie Hopkins would be a fan though, which is a shame. She might learn something.

She actually tweeted Marcus Rashford to say " maybe Black women should think about how they're going to feed their children etc " that was cruel after he spoke about his mother struggling to feed him. Of all the things she has tweeted (mostly vile in my opinion) that made me gasp as it was just so nasty. I do think there is a line where you're not allowed to incite racism and she has been hovering over it for years. I actually feel sorry for her children. She seems so bitter and obsessed with being 'provocative' to build a profile.

I would like to ban her full stop. It’s a shame that’s not possible

@TheQueef yes she is and l wonder why that is . Oh yeah shooting her mouth off and being vile

@nogooddeedgoesunpunished if she was my mother l would be mortified, l feel sorry for her children