Following his acquittal, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have permitted teenager Kyle Rittenhouse to return to their platforms, after previously banning him and any support for him — despite the fact that publicly available video evidence pointed to his innocence.
Rittenhouse has begun posting on Twitter on the account @ThisIsKyleR. The platform has not given him a verified checkmark.
“You can follow me on Facebook @ThisIsKyleRittenhouse,” said the teenager in one of his first posts on Twitter.
It appears Rittenhouse’s Instagram account was removed after being initially reinstated, but that decision was reversed by Facebook. He can be followed on the platform @thisiskylerittenhouse.
Rittenhouse killed two rioters and wounded another who attempted to assault him during violent unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in 2020 sparked by the police shooting a black domestic abuser, Jacob Blake, after he resisted arrest while wielding a knife.
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 10: Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Charged with two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide, two counts of reckless endangerment, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, and one count of curfew violation, Rittenhouse was cleared of all charges in the course of his trial in November.
Shortly after the shooting, despite video evidence showing Rittenhouse acted in self-defense, social media platforms banned all statements of support for the teenager — long before he had his day in court.
As Breitbart News reported:
For the “crime” of defending himself against violent rioters who were captured on video trying to assault him, Facebook instituted a ban on any statements defending the teenager.
While it seems to have relaxed its enforcement, Twitter implemented similar policies shortly after the Kenosha riot, suspending users — including journalists — for expressing support for Rittenhouse.
If Silicon Valley leftists had their way, Rittenhouse wouldn’t be able to raise money for his legal fees either. GoFundMe banned all fundraisers in support of the teenager shortly after the Kenosha riot.
Even as the prosecution’s case fell apart in court, Silicon Valley continued to censor pro-Rittenhouse posts, including ones from Ohio Senate Candidate Josh Mandel.
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.