Big Tech have been working overtime to ensure that BitChute never gains ground or eats into their market share. They utilize shadow-banning to prevent links from appearing, or downgrade the keyword viability of BitChute videos on search engines, or in Twitter’s case outright prevent some users from sharing links by claiming that the links are “harmful”.
Multiple users informed BitChute that links to BitChute videos were being blocked by Twitter. This led to BitChute informing their followers on August 7th, 2020 about the censorship.
It appears as if Twitter has started blocking all Tweets that contain Bitchute videos
Please test this and share your experience in the comments below
— BitChute (@bitchute) August 7, 2020
Consider also bookmarking the bitchute website or even setting it to your homepage. Don’t let the authoritarians win
— BitChute (@bitchute) August 7, 2020
Various users responded to the tweet by confirming that the links they shared on Twitter of BitChute content had been removed.
WTF, I just checked and all my BitChute links got murked. I don’t even talk about politics. All I do on BC is tell ghost stories. How is that “harmful content”?
This is crap. I just want to write stories, play guitar, and draw cartoon characters. Why is THAT such an issue?
— Jules Mabe (@MagicalMabe) August 7, 2020
It wasn’t just anguish and shock from users. There was evidence, too.
A few users posted screenshots of the messages they received from Twitter indicating that the reason their BitChute links wouldn’t appear in tweets was because Twitter had labeled the BitChute website as “harmful”.
This is what happens when I try to share a @bitchute link.
Tried 3 different harmless videos. Puppy, outdoors, family related. pic.twitter.com/n4hl3HQT6q
— 🇺🇸 RIP NFL 🇺🇸 (@ClintKane) August 7, 2020
Here is what I got. They don’t even have the courage to stand behind their censorship, they act like it is a “glitch,” at least in my case. Nw where have we heard that excuse before 🤔 oh that’s right EVERYWHERE! pic.twitter.com/ikQ47c6srd
— LastAmericanVagabond (@TLAVagabond) August 7, 2020
The errors weren’t same for everyone, though.
Some users reported that even though Twitter classified BitChute links as harmful, they were still able to click through the links and continue to the website.
My pinned tweet has this when I click in but it has continue option that works. pic.twitter.com/ZoGn58kkTH
— Noreen Fitzgerald (@Noreen77777) August 7, 2020
This comes after YouTube utilized link-jacking and shadow-banning efforts against BitChute starting in June of this year.
YouTube’s method is a preventative measure to ensure that people can’t post links to videos on BitChute that might contradict whatever narrative YouTube is promoting, or from linking to channels that were terminated by YouTube.
Last year Twitter suspended BitChute’s news channel, NewsChute, which was being operated by Nick Monroe.
Two years ago PayPal had permanently suspended the BitChute PayPal account to prevent them from receiving public donations.
(Thanks for the news tip Ebicentre)