Jones' Alleged Hidden Website Evades Social Media Restrictions Regarding Him
Jones' Alleged Hidden Website Evades Social Media Restrictions Regarding Him
Alex Jones is currently grappling with numerous lawsuits and strict social media restrictions, yet he manages to disseminate his radical beliefs broadly on the web. A recent examination conducted by Media Matters for America, which was released on Friday, revealed that a website closely associated with the controversial figure, Alex Jones, has managed to maintain a presence on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, despite the ban on Jones and his program InfoWars.
The site, known as National File, has been consistently active on social media platforms for several years. The site shares close ties with Jones and his family, as demonstrate by leaked messages from 2020 shared by the Southern Poverty Law Center between Jones and well-known Republican operative Roger Stone. In these messages, Jones referred to National File as "my site," and the site was funded by Jones' father, David Jones, with the intention of increasing the public profile of Jones' son, Rex Jones.
Media Matters drew upon CrowdTangle data to analyze nearly 12,000 Facebook posts that mentioned or linked to the National File website. They discovered that these posts received over 1.2 million interactions on the site. Furthermore, BuzzSumo data supplied by Media Matters showed that several National File articles achieved high engagement on Facebook, while other posts experienced increased shares on platforms where Jones is prohibited, such as Twitter and Reddit.
National File has a modest following on social media, with just 13,000 followers on Facebook and 37,000 followers on Twitter. The National File website itself features the familiar mix of "news" articles attacking LGBTQ+ individuals and Democrats, as well as a prominent banner ad encouraging Jones supporters to claim "10% in Free Silver" and featuring a stock photo of Fox News host Sean Hannity.
After a series of bans on various social media sites by May 2019, both Jones and InfoWars were banned by Facebook. However, despite the threats to remove content promoting Jones' conspiracies, National File launched most of its social media accounts in July 2019, coinciding with the registration of its website domain, as indicated by the Whoisology domain database.
As National File's connections to Alex Jones have become more apparent, some platforms have commenced investigations into possible rule violations. Gizmodo has learned that Meta is currently examining pages related to National File, although it is unclear if any action will be taken. Meta implements a strike system across its platforms for violating its community standards and policies, but Twitter follows a different approach, with the platform's CEO, Elon Musk, having considerable influence over who is allowed back on the platform. Twitter no longer has a communications department to address questions regarding potential investigations into National File's accounts.
As Media Matters noted, data from Meta's Ad Library revealed that National File attempted to monetize Facebook, with some sponsored ads removed due to violations of Meta's advertising standards. However, one advertisement, "WANT THE REAL NEWS THE LEFTIST MEDIA WON'T REPORT," remains active, with National File reportedly spending around $200 on these ads and receiving 10,000 to 15,000 impressions.
Despite facing billions in damages following two verdicts pertaining to his propagation of conspiracy theories concerning the 2012 Sandy Hook school shootings, Jones' media empire appears to be at risk. He has even claimed that the Department of Justice is attempting to seize his pet among other assets. Jones and his companies have filed for bankruptcy, but National File was not included among these assets. Should Jones' media empire continue to decline, it will be intriguing to observe which conspiracy websites he leaves behind.
The National File's continuation on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, despite Jones' bans, showcases the resilience of technology and its ability to adapt in the tech-driven future. Despite having fewer followers compared to other platforms, National File consistently attracts high engagement through its controversial content.