TikTok deletes male influencer Alex Hitchens' account... who immediately returns to the app
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The hunt for mascus continues on TikTok. Following controversial influencer AD Laurent , it's Alex Hitchens' turn to be banned from the Chinese social network, where he had over 650,000 followers, this Thursday, June 12. This announcement comes just two days after he left a hearing as part of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into the platform.
"The decision to delete this account was made in accordance with our community guidelines (hate speech and hateful conduct), which we strictly apply to all users, without exception," said a spokesperson for the application, owned by the ByteDance group.
A decision welcomed by the Minister for Gender Equality, Aurore Bergé, who recalled having summoned the platforms last week to remind them of their obligations and to report to them "particularly problematic accounts : domination of women, violence, homophobia, racism, anti-Semitism." "TikTok reacted: Alex Hitchens' main account on their platform is finished, so much the better. We're moving on, with a new summons to the platforms on July 9," she added.
A post to which the person concerned immediately responded: "This account has not been active since 2022." In a second post, Alex Hitchens announced that he had reactivated an old account from several years ago, which had flown under TikTok's radar. "I contacted my lawyers: my account is reactivated. @auroreberge. I'm not a porn actor, I'm the King in the North."
I contacted my lawyers: my account has been reactivated. @auroreberge I'm not a porn actor, I'm the King in the North. Censorship won't work.
And even if you plan to ban other accounts, my team is preparing around fifty new accounts this week...
Real name Isac Mayembo, Alex Hitchens describes himself as a self-proclaimed dating coach who sells online courses and whose TikTok account has already been banned once. He also has over 370,000 subscribers on YouTube and 164,000 on Instagram.
Hearing remotely as part of the parliamentary commission on the psychological effects of TikTok on minors, the 26-year-old influencer caused a surprise by abruptly leaving the hearing after 20 minutes, accusing its chairman, Socialist MP Arthur Delaporte, of wanting to "isolate" one of his comments. He questioned him in particular about phrases he said in his videos, such as stating that women "have no business being in the street after 10 p.m." "Goodbye, sir, have a nice day," he said before disconnecting, interrupting the session.
"You need to be presented with a fait accompli, to be received," Arthur Delaporte said angrily this Thursday in response to TikTok representatives who were being questioned in turn. "Alex Hitchens should have been banned a long time ago," he added.
In his bio on his reactivated TikTok account , the influencer taunts Aurore Bergé and the members of the inquiry committee: "You don't even know how to ban an account from 2022..." If this account were also to be banned soon, Alex Hitchens warned: "Censorship won't work. My team is preparing around fifty new accounts starting next week. Good luck." Back to the hunt.
Libération
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