X suspends the accounts of some journalists and researchers who posted the alleged real name of neo-Nazi cartoonist Stonetoss, after Stonetoss appealed to Musk
https://www.wired.com/... [image] Steve Thompson / @SteveThompson@mastodon.social : “Elon Musk's X Is Suspending Accounts That Reveal a Neo-Nazi Cartoonist's Alleged Identity” — https://www.wired.com/... “Researchers and journalists have been blocked on X from sharing the alleged identity of the neo-Nazi cartoonist Stonetoss.” — #Musk #Twitter #neonazis #cartoons #Stonetoss Joshua Holland / @JoshuaHolland@mastodon.social : Nazi bar. — https://www.wired.com/... Bluesky: @osomatic.bsky.social : Yup, Twitter shut me up too. Me, with my mighty reach of “I'm only on Bluesky any more, and anyway nobody reads my tweets.” Me, who did not in fact violate the posted rules. — For *some reason*, nobody is allowed to say the name of the Nazi-loving guy who draws Stone Toss. [image] X: Hannah Gais / @hannahgais : twitter (or “x") locked my account for a now-deleted post from a member of the anonymous comrades collective who has since been suspended. the post had the name and city of the neo-nazi cartoonist stonetoss twitter says it's doxing. it isn't by their own rules. here's why [image] @gwensnyderphl : Streisand Effect now fully activated for Nazi Hans https://www.wired.com/... [image] @mollyfud : @realbugsycat ... And a soft spot for neo-Nazis! Steven Monacelli / @stevanzetti : “According to X's terms of service, posting someone's name does not constitute doxing, but many accounts, including my own, have been made to delete posts that merely mention the name of the racist and antisemitic cartoonist Stonetoss,” Monacelli said. https://www.wired.com/... David Gilbert / @daithaigilbert : Last week, researchers revealed the identity of the racist, antisemitic, and homophobic cartoonist known as #stonetoss Stonetoss appealed to @elonmusk to ban the researcher's account. Musk complied—then locked the accounts of others sharing the details https://www.wired.com/... Steven Monacelli / @stevanzetti : Despite it not being against the terms of service, X continues to suspend users for posting the name of the neo-nazi cartoonist Stone Toss. @taliaotg told it happened to her today. So much for free speech absolutism! [image] Tom Scott / @tom___scott : Elon Musk: “Free speech is absolute!” Also Elon Musk: “Don't reveal the names of neo-Nazi cartoonists whose images I share or X will suspend your account!” https://www.wired.com/... @mauraleelang : Accounts like Libs of TikTok and troll Andy Ngo, both of which have shared private information about trans people have not had their accounts suspended. Musk has also engaged with posts that doxed individuals with seemingly no recourse for those accounts https://www.wired.com/... @realbugsycat : @Techmeme @daithaigilbert Because, you know, the real victims here are the poor neo-Nazis who just want to spread hate and bigotry in peace without any pesky consequences. And who better to defend them than a billionaire tech bro with a massive platform and a fragile ego? @imgentledamnit : I think it's safe to say Musk's policy for the far right, including Nazis, is to only ban when they do something illegal. For the rest of us the policy included documenting what the far right, including Nazis, say and do. https://www.wired.com/... @blackknight10k : I legit had my account suspended for merely tweeting, “How surprised are we really that a guy named Hans Kristian Graebener is a Nazi.” I didn't even post his screen name. https://www.wired.com/... Jared Holt / @jaredlholt : This is the key to the whole fiasco. It's not actually Twitter policy. Elon posted something about it a while back, but the policies were never updated to reflect it. To say the platform was adhering to policy is simply untrue, but the policies of X are “the random whims of Elon” Matt Binder / @mattbinder : my piece on X / Twitter suspending users who post the name tied to far right comic creator StoneToss Elon Musk's recent policy changes: posting the identity of right-wing users = suspension posting the identity of trans users = personal support from Musk https://mashable.com/... David Gilbert / @daithaigilbert : When I asked Twitter why it had locked the accounts @benarroch_joe told me it was for a breach of Twitter's policy “outing the identity of an anonymous user.” Except no such policy exists within Twitter's own TOS https://www.wired.com/... @burger_meister6 : Free speech is ONLY for team Q// Musk wrote, “Any doxxing, which includes revealing real names, will result in account suspension.” Still, in an interview with Don Lemon released on Monday, Musk said that moderation of hate speech is akin to “censorship.” https://www.wired.com/... Darlene Grant / @westmm4028 : @MattBinder @mehdirhasan Someone saw the light: [image] David Gilbert / @daithaigilbert : When I asked what rule these accounts breached, Joe replied: “outing the identity of an anonymous user.” Asked where that rule is outlined, he sent this link When I said the rule wasn't mentioned, he sent the link again Now, he's sending the link again https://www.wired.com/... @mollyfud : @Techmeme @daithaigilbert What law did it break that they posted his name? LinkedIn: Anthony Duignan-Cabrera : Elon's one of those “#freespeech for me, but not for you” kind of totalitarians. Forums: r/technology : Elon Musk's X Is Suspending Accounts That Reveal a Neo-Nazi Cartoonist's Alleged Identity See also Mediagazer
Context & Ripple Effects
X's action follows a longer tension in its moderation posture: Twitter had previously defended users against unmasking demands, while Musk-era enforcement also locked journalists out until they removed specified posts. The immediate case was followed by a policy change barring publication of names behind anonymous accounts.
The episode matters because an appeal to Musk preceded enforcement against reporters and researchers, concentrating a consequential content-policy decision in the platform's owner-led governance.
First-order effects
- Journalists and researchers who shared Stonetoss's alleged identity lose the ability to post or reach audiences through their affected X accounts.
- X effectively restricts identity reporting about anonymous accounts in this case, before its subsequent formal ban on posting such real names.
Second-order effects
- Newsrooms, researchers, and users face greater uncertainty over whether identification of anonymous public figures can be shared on X, encouraging more cautious posting or publication elsewhere.
- The move increases the practical importance of X's discretionary enforcement: parties seeking removal can view direct escalation to Musk as a meaningful route alongside ordinary platform processes.
Third-order effects
- If applied broadly, this model shifts X from a venue where anonymity disputes are contested publicly toward one where the platform sets the boundary for unmasking through account access and policy enforcement.
- The case adds to a broader governance question for large platforms: whether rules affecting reporting and political speech can remain credible when high-profile appeals appear to shape enforcement outcomes.
The trend: This is one data point in the growing role of platform owners' moderation decisions as gatekeepers of who can investigate, identify, and reach audiences online.