Podcaster Rex Chapman’s Twitter account removed from search in latest move against liberal voices under Musk

Podcaster alleges Twitter wants to bring back right-wing voices by drowning out those who call them out

Podcaster Rex Chapman has alleged Twitter has imposed a shadow ban on his account by preventing it from appearing on search on the social media platform.

In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Chapman said: “Hey @elonmusk how about you come on my podcast so we can discuss why my account doesn’t come up on a Twitter search using my name? Or are you too much of a chickens**t coward? I’ve dunked on fake tough guys like you all my life. Can you take a charge?”

The move appears to be the latest in a series of crackdowns on liberal voices on Twitter.

Last week, the social media site came under intense criticism for suspending half a dozen journalists from CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times and elsewhere for supposedly violating its new privacy policy.

Mr Chapman had also drawn attention to the suspension of these journalists’ accounts on Twitter.

The suspensions, which were revoked later, came after a ban on the @Elonjet account which was used by creator Jacob Sweeney using publicly available data to track the billionaire’s private jet’s movements.

Mr Musk had previously tried to buy the jet-tracking account.

Several Twitter users confirmed the shadow ban on Mr Chapman’s account.

In a series of tweets, Mr Chapman later said the social media platform wanted to bring back right-wing voices by drowning out those who call them out.

Mr Musk bought the San Francisco-based company for $44bn in October after he was sued by the social media giant to complete his promise to buy the company.