Babylon Bee’s Provocative Views

The Babylon Bee, a well-known conservative satire website, is making headlines once again, this time for its critical stance against Bluesky, a burgeoning competitor to X (formerly Twitter). The outlet’s editor-in-chief, Kyle Mann, has voiced concerns over what he describes as rampant censorship on Bluesky, labeling their actions as a “chilling reminder” of the social media landscape’s potential pitfalls had Elon Musk not taken over Twitter.

Suspension from Twitter: A Precedent for Censorship

In 2022, the Babylon Bee faced suspension from Twitter after posting a satirical piece that dubbed Admiral Rachel Levine—an openly transgender woman and a member of the Biden administration—the “man of the year.” The post was flagged for violating Twitter’s rules against “hateful conduct,” leading to the suspension of the Babylon Bee’s account until they deleted the post—an act they refused to undertake. The account remained inactive until Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, which resulted in its reinstatement.

The concise nature of this incident underscores the inherent tension between satire and social media guidelines that promote the censorship of content deemed offensive or intolerant.

Bluesky: An Unexpected Setback

Fast forward to two years later, the Babylon Bee is now grappling with similar challenges on Bluesky, a platform launched by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. Although Bluesky aims to provide a more decentralized and user-controlled environment, recent events paint a different picture. The platform has seen a surge in users—reportedly attracting 8 million new members since Election Day. However, it remains dwarfed by Twitter’s robust user base of over 500 million, making it a relatively nascent player in the field.

While Bluesky claims to offer a more open social experience, its community guidelines indicate a zero-tolerance policy towards content that engages in “gender identity-based harassment” and hate speech. This declaration raises questions about the effectiveness of the platform’s stated principles, particularly in light of the Babylon Bee’s experiences.

A Censorship Cycle?

The Babylon Bee made its inaugural post on Bluesky on November 18, tweeting the same article about Rachel Levine that had previously led to their Twitter suspension. In a twist of fate, this post was promptly flagged and masked by Bluesky’s moderation system as “intolerance.” Although users can still access the content by navigating past this label, the Bee’s subsequent reposting attempts—counting four in total—have all resulted in similar moderation responses.

This turn of events provokes a dual perspective: Does the label of “intolerance” genuinely uphold community standards, or does it merely reflect a broader pattern of censorship that could stifle free expression? Mann argues that such actions are contradictory to the platform’s claims of tolerance and openness. “It’s ironic that the platform championing tolerance and freedom from Musk’s influence is itself so intolerant of differing views,” he stated.

The Call for Free Speech

Highlighting the irony is a strategic move by the Babylon Bee, as they have sought to showcase a fundamental conflict between censorship and free speech. Mann indicated that using the article that had previously led to their ban on Twitter was a deliberate statement in support of free expression, showcasing how censorship persists even on platforms that advocate for a more open dialogue.

“Bluesky’s censorship policies are eerily reminiscent of the status quo on Twitter before Elon Musk took over,” Mann further emphasized. “It’s chilling to think about what freedom of speech might look like right now in the United States if Musk hadn’t stepped up and freed us from the Twitter tyrants.”