Twitter Permanently Suspends Accounts Of Two Anti-Trump Activists

Two political activists who have a history of trolling Donald Trump and his supporters have been permanently suspended by Twitter.

The accounts of Ed and Brian Krassenstein were pulled after Twitter alleged the brothers used bogus accounts to inflate their reach.

“The Twitter Rules apply to everyone,” said a Twitter statement. “Operating multiple fake accounts and purchasing account interactions are strictly prohibited. Engaging in these behaviors will result in permanent suspension from the service.”

The Krassenstein brother denied that they engaged in fake accounts.

“If Twitter wants to ban us for having multiple accounts then that’s their right,” Ed Krassenstein wrote in a post Friday on Facebook. “Our multiple accounts did not break any of Twitters terms, but it’s their right to ban whoever they want. What they shouldn’t be doing is smearing our names over and over again by claiming that we ‘purchased account interactions.’”

At the time of their suspension, Ed Krassenstein had 925,000 followers on Twitter and Brian Krassenstein had nearly 700,000, according to SocialBlade.

Twitter has been accused of banning prominent conservative voices and its CEO, Jack Dorsey, has met with President Donald Trump to discuss his concerns. The President’s account has so far been off-limits to Twitter’s control, even as Trump critics fume that he violates some of the site’s terms of service in his tweets.

The Krassensteins had their Florida residence raided in 2016 by federal agents, who suspected them of being involved in an international fraud ring. They were not charged with crimes and claim they did nothing illegal.