In a surprising turn of events, Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), has restored the accounts of notorious right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his website, Infowars. This decision has sparked controversy and concern as it gives Jones a major platform to promote his deceptive and dangerous views.

Following the restoration of his account, Jones' posts started appearing in the “For You” feed of some users who do not follow him on X. Additionally, his account was promoted in some users' "Who to Follow" recommendations, and his name was featured in X's top trending topics section. Musk himself further elevated Jones by engaging in a live-streamed interview with him on X. Joining them during the interview were other controversial figures such as Andrew Tate, Jack Posobiec, Laura Loomer, and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

This move by Musk is just the latest example of how X and its billionaire owner have been increasingly elevating fringe, extreme, and potentially harmful viewpoints. Since taking over the platform last year, Musk has also restored the accounts of prominent election deniers, far-right figures, and even neo-Nazis. This pattern of promoting controversial figures raises concerns about the platform's responsibility and potential impact on public discourse.

Alex Jones is particularly known for spreading false conspiracy theories about the tragic 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in which 20 children and six adults lost their lives. His continuous airing of false claims about Sandy Hook has resulted in threats and harassment against the victims' families. In fact, a jury decided last year that Jones should pay nearly $1 billion in damages to the families in a defamation case brought against him for his lies about the shooting.

During the live-streamed interview on X, Musk allowed Jones to lie about his harassment of the Sandy Hook families, with Jones falsely claiming that he was merely asking questions about the massacre. The conversation also delved into various conspiracy theories, including climate change denial, claims about "globalists," and government censorship.

In response to concerns raised by advertisers about brand safety and hate speech on X, the platform has assured its advertising customers that the Jones and Infowars accounts will be subject to its policies. However, X has been inconsistent in enforcing its own rules since Musk acquired the company. Online watchdog groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, reported a surge in hate speech on the platform after Musk took over. X's policies explicitly prohibit hateful conduct and direct attacks on individuals based on various factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, and religion.

Jones' ban from X in 2018 was a result of his repeated violations of the platform's abusive behavior policies. However, his return now comes at a time when X is already facing an advertiser exodus due to concerns about brand safety and hate speech. This exodus was prompted by Musk's endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory in November. While Musk apologized for the post, he has also previously promoted the dangerous “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory and showed little remorse towards brands that have left the platform.

It is worth noting that Musk initially stated that he would not restore Jones' account due to his false claims about Sandy Hook. However, he appears to have been swayed by a recent right-wing pressure campaign to reinstate Jones. Musk conducted an unscientific poll on X, which resulted in 70% of the nearly 2 million respondents voting in favor of restoring the conspiracy theorist's account. This led to the restoration of Jones' account on Sunday.

Critics, including Chris Mattei, a lawyer for the Sandy Hook families, have condemned Musk's decision and labeled Jones as a con artist. They argue that Jones targets the innocent, creates fear among his audience, and exploits them for financial gain.

As X continues to grapple with the fallout from Musk's controversial decisions and the promotion of fringe figures like Jones, the platform faces increasing scrutiny over its role in amplifying harmful views and the potential consequences for public discourse and societal well-being.