In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson said Lindell was banned from the site due to “repeated violations” of its civic integrity policy. The policy was put in place last September and is targeted at fighting disinformation., reports the Associated Press.
Twitter has used the policy previously, including the ban on former President Donald Trump himself alongside more than 70,000 accounts dedicated to sharing QAnon-associated conspiracy theory content.
Lindell’s continued spouting of false narratives, even after the riots and siege at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, prompted a slew of social media posts calling for a boycott of MyPillow products that resulted in many retailers deciding to stop carrying MyPillow products.
In a recent interview with Business Insider, according to the Boston Globe, Lindell said “I’m not backing down on these machines that stole our election,” referring to his claims that the Dominion Voting Systems machines were rigged. “I’m not changing my mind on anything like that ever. I’m not going to: ‘Oh, please, don’t boycott me. Please don’t.’”
According to Twitter’s Civic Integrity policy, the more violations a person commits, the more severe the ban. For example, two violations result in a 12-hour ban, while five or more violations could result in what Twitter calls a “permanent suspension.” This policy caused Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene to be locked out of her account for 12 hours two weeks ago, reports CNN News.
“You may not use Twitter’s services for the purpose of manipulating or interfering in elections or other civic processes,” Twitter said of its civic integrity policy in January. Civic processes include: political elections, censuses and major referenda and ballot initiatives.