This blog originally appeared at ADVOCATE.
Alejandra Caraballo alleges that X is shielding right-wing extremists while stifling the voices of transgender individuals.
Alejandra Caraballo, a transgender attorney and clinical instructor at Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic, appears to have received a permanent ban from X (formerly Twitter) for disseminating information regarding the alleged identity of a neo-Nazi figure, sparking questions about the platform’s content moderation policies under Elon Musk’s ownership. This development has reignited debates concerning free speech, hate speech, and the handling of far-right ideologies on the platform.
Caraballo’s permanent suspension was confirmed on Tuesday morning. Earlier, she had faced a temporary suspension after modifying her profile name to include that of a notorious right-wing extremist known for creating content steeped in racism and anti-Semitic themes.
The extremist in question, known for producing comic illustrations under the alias StoneToss, was purportedly revealed to be a 34-year-old former security guard and IT worker from Texas named Hans Kristian Graebener by a group of activists, the Anonymous Comrades Collective and Late-Night Anti-Fascists, as reported by Wired on March 12. Critics point out that StoneToss’s content frequently contains elements of anti-Semitism, transphobia, racism, homophobia, and other forms of bigotry. Following the online posting of the individual’s name and photo by the activist group, some X users reported instances of suspension.
Journalist Steven Monacelli remarked on the atypical enforcement actions taken against Caraballo, observing, “Alejandra Caraballo’s account has been restricted, and her display name altered to remove reference to the neo-Nazi cartoonist Stone Toss. This level of enforcement is unprecedented in my experience. It appears Musk is going to great lengths to shield Stone Toss.”
Monacelli added, “Alejandra Caraballo has been suspended, rendering her account inaccessible, all due to sharing the name of the racist and antisemitic cartoonist Stone Toss.”
Another user on X criticized the platform’s decision, stating, “Alejandra Caraballo @Esqueer_ has been suspended yet again, this time indefinitely, simply for discussing publicly available information regarding a Nazi. X’s actions are becoming increasingly authoritarian. Freedom of speech seems conditional on Elon’s approval.” This sentiment underscores mounting concerns about the direction of X under Musk’s leadership, particularly regarding content moderation and political discourse.
Caraballo expressed to The Advocate, “Elon is personally instructing Twitter to shield StoneToss. The excessive measures suggest a haphazard and reactive approach.”
X’s policy regarding private information explicitly acknowledges that mentioning someone’s name is considered publicly available information and does not breach its guidelines. The measures taken against Caraballo have raised questions about the consistency and impartiality of X’s policy enforcement, especially concerning politically sensitive content.
Caraballo condemned Twitter’s explicit protection of neo-Nazis as morally reprehensible, highlighting how “the individual responsible for the neo-Nazi StoneToss comics directly appealed to his followers, who had a direct line to Elon. They heeded the call, prompting Twitter to crack down on anyone mentioning the name.”
Following the alleged identification of the creator on social media, StoneToss utilized X to rally his followers and address Musk directly, expressing opposition to what he perceived as attempts to silence him and others on the platform. He asserted, “One of you has a direct line to @elonmusk – and you need to use it,” adding, “This is not only about myself but also about others I know personally. There exists a whole community of artists who cannot create art anymore due to Twitter users organizing to punish them in real life for doing so.” He proposed that minor policy adjustments could alleviate the situation for far-right creators who have been driven away from other platforms.
Caraballo posted a screenshot of a violation notice indicating her account suspension for allegedly violating X’s rules on abusive behavior following a user report. According to the notice, modifying one’s profile name in a manner deemed as targeted harassment by the company constitutes a violation of the rules.
“I’m not surprised by their actions,” Caraballo remarked. “They seize any excuse to ban individuals Elon dislikes, particularly targeting trans people,” she added. “Andy Ngo has been actively seeking my suspension, and Elon now follows him.”
Previously, Musk had made derogatory remarks about Caraballo, referring to her as “crazy” in response to a post by Chaya Raichik, the creator of the anti-LGBTQ+ hate account Libs of TikTok.
Caraballo’s suspension coincides with broader discussions about X’s policies under Musk’s ownership, particularly regarding the treatment of LGBTQ+ users and the platform’s stance on hate speech. Caraballo had been outspoken in criticizing X’s management of far-right content and policy adjustments that she argued were detrimental to the transgender community.
In early March, X faced significant backlash for reversing its policy on anti-trans hate speech, which aimed to reduce the visibility of posts misgendering or deadnaming users upon report by the affected individual. The policy reversal, influenced by complaints from right-wing users and influencers, underscored the platform’s inconsistent commitment to safeguarding LGBTQ+ users from harassment. Critics, including advocacy groups and individual users, denounced the change, highlighting broader concerns about X’s policies under Musk’s leadership.
According to GLAAD’s Social Media Safety Index, X ranks as the worst platform for LGBTQ+ user safety.
The Advocate sought insight from the individual known as StoneToss but received no response. When asked for comment regarding Caraballo’s suspension, X replied, “Busy now, please check back later.”
However, late Tuesday night, Musk claimed he was unaware of the reasons behind Caraballo’s suspension in response to a post from Libs of TikTok.
“I’m uncertain why this account was suspended, but under our new policy, permanent suspensions are exceedingly rare and would necessitate numerous repeated infractions (unless blatantly a spam/scam account),” he stated.
Four hours later, Musk responded to another tweet from Libs of TikTok, stating, “The team has informed me that there were multiple instances of doxxing violations by this account, despite repeated warnings. The suspension is only for a few days initially, but the duration will increase with each subsequent violation.”
Caraballo expressed that her suspension hampers her efforts to bring national attention to overlooked stories and coverage of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, but she affirmed her commitment to continue her work.
“I still have other platforms, so I’ll persevere regardless. Twitter’s relevance has dwindled significantly as it has devolved into a hub of hate and spam bots,” Caraballo remarked.
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