1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: There Are No Girls on the Internet, as a production 2 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio and Unbossed Creative. I'm bridget Tat and this 3 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: is there Are No Girls on the Internet, so we 4 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,159 Speaker 1: have a little nudes on the slow downfall of the 5 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: platform formerly known as Twitter. Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has 6 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: been let back on Twitter after being banned from the 7 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: social media platform and honestly most social media platforms for 8 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: the last five years. Back when Elon Musk first took 9 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: over Twitter, he started letting a bunch of people who 10 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: had been previously banned back on, including Donald Trump, and 11 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: when he was asked if he'd be letting Alex Jones 12 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: back on, he said that he would never do that 13 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: because he had a baby that passed away and he 14 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: would never allow someone who profited from lies about dead children, 15 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 1: which Alex Jones did about Sandy Hook back on the platform. 16 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson, formerly a Fox News host who I guess 17 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: now hosts some kind of a show on Twitter, did 18 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: a ninety minute interview with Alex Jones where Jones returning 19 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: to Twitter came up. It was really clear that Alex 20 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: Jones wants to be back on social media, and I 21 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: guess this whole conversation about him coming back to Twitter 22 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,600 Speaker 1: must have changed Elon Musk's mind, because Elon Musk did 23 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: one of those easily gamified, totally unscientific polls on Twitter 24 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: asking people whether or not Alex Jones should be left 25 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: back on the platform. Side note, I just have to 26 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: say I hate it when Elon Musk does those polls. 27 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: It seems like an attempt to put the onus of 28 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: whatever he wants to do on the people who vote 29 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: and then blame them for driving the direction of his business. 30 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: Like totally spineless. Anyway, the choice to let Alex Jones 31 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: back on Twitter does not bode well for the platform, 32 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: and it feels like just another signal that the platform 33 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: is being overrun by the worst types of grifters, liars, 34 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: and scam artists, just like back when Elon Musk was 35 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: promoting anti Semitism. Feel like a new low for the 36 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: platform where people, not to mention, advertisers, just don't want 37 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: to be associated with it anymore. Because Musk did not 38 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: just let Alex Jones back on Twitter, oh No, he 39 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: rolled out the digital red carpet for him by hosting 40 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: a Twitter spaces on Sunday, that included former Trump National 41 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: security advisor Michael Flynn, alleged sex trafficker Andrew Tate, and 42 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: presidential candidate Vivic Ramaswami, who might have actually gone to 43 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: the bathroom without muting during the spaces gross So, during 44 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: Elon Musk's conversation on Twitter Spaces with Alex Jones, Alex 45 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: Jones seemed to imply that the statements that got him 46 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: booted from pretty much every social media platform out there 47 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: were either taken out of context or deep fakes. The 48 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: whole thing really just did not bode well. When Musk 49 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: asked Jones about his comments about Sandy Hook, he really 50 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: just downplayed it like it wasn't a big deal, saying 51 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: I had a very small operation and I did not 52 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: even understand how powerful I was. And so in that event, 53 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: the school shooting, which I do believe happened eleven years ago, 54 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: the internet exploded and it was the top story and 55 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,640 Speaker 1: went on for years. All these professors and former school 56 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: safety people, all of them said that they believed it 57 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: was a drill and I was simply covering that. So 58 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: I do not think that we should be letting Alex 59 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: Jones completely rewrite history in a way that obscures his 60 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: culpability for the way that he made a fortune lying 61 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 1: about people who lost their babies in Sandy Hook. And 62 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: Elon Musk might accept Alex Jones's lives that he basically 63 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: had nothing to do with calling Sandy Hook hoax, but 64 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: we don't have to buy that, especially since there are 65 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: receipts Like he was found libel in court. This man 66 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: shamelessly lied about Sandy Hook, the kids who lost their lives, 67 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: and the parents and family who grieved those losses to 68 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 1: fatten his own pockets. He was sued by the families 69 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: for it, and all during the trial sat on the 70 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: stand and continued to lie about it. Today, Alex Jones 71 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: owes the Sandy Hook families one point five billion, and 72 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: so far he's not really paying up. He tried to 73 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: weazel out of it by declaring bankruptcy. On his show. 74 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: He called the amount that he was ordered to pay 75 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: quote hilarious and said, do these people really think they're 76 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: getting their money? So here's our breakdown of what happened 77 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: in that trial, and I'm rerunning it in the hopes 78 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: that it serves as a reminder of exactly what kind 79 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: of person Alex Jones is and an example of what 80 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: kind of person Elon Musk thinks should be elevated and 81 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: given a platform on Twitter. So here's our episode from 82 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two, all about the many lies of Alex Jones. 83 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,440 Speaker 1: Something we talk about a lot on this podcast are 84 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 1: the ways that people who traffic in things like lies, 85 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: conspiracy theory, and disinformation are oftentimes doing it because it 86 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: makes them money. It's a scam, it's a grift, and 87 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: I think it's important that we frame it this way 88 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: because I don't think we will ever truly beat disinformation 89 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: until we make spreading it unprofitable, and right now, spreading 90 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: lies for profit is a booming business. Just ask Alex Jones. 91 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: So on Thursday, a jury determined that conspiracy theorist Info 92 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: Wars radio show host Alex Jones will have to pay 93 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: Scarlett Lewis and Neil Heslin, the parents of a six 94 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: year old child who was shot and killed in the 95 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: Sandy Hook school shooting, four point one million dollars in damages. Now, 96 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: this is a lot less than what the parents had 97 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: initially asked for, which was at least one hundred and 98 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: fifty million dollars, but there's still a chance to all 99 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: have to pay more impunitive damages. This trial was the 100 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 1: first of three trials brought by the families or the 101 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: victims of the shooting. The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting 102 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: happened back in twenty twelve in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty elementary 103 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: school kids and six school staff were shot and killed. 104 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: It was a horrific tragedy, and Alex Jones spent the 105 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 1: aftermath of that tragedy baselessly and repeatedly claiming that it 106 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: never happened and that it was staged in order to 107 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: increase gun control. In that the children who lost their 108 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,359 Speaker 1: lives and the parents who grieved them were actually actors. 109 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 2: Well, they're obviously looking for a big pr bonanza. 110 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,840 Speaker 1: And then to bring in all the actors to break 111 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: down and cry. 112 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 3: And I think we're so stupid they when to. 113 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: Use the same actors as different people. I mean, all 114 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: I know is we're all beating the footage and maybe 115 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 1: they're real parents whatever. But when you've got somebody laughing 116 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: and small and who want to watch this and then 117 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: walking over one and then starting crying for the cameras, 118 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: now this is a pretty well worn conspiracy theory. And 119 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: whenever a mass tragedy like a shooting happens, conspiracy theorists 120 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: will claim that it didn't really happen and that it 121 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: was actually a false flag operation, like you'll see memes 122 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,799 Speaker 1: falsely claiming that the people who died were actually actors 123 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: who were later seen performing in the Super Bowl, or 124 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: that an actor has been used in multiple mass shootings. 125 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: At this point, it's really predictable. I saw the same 126 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: bogus claims floating around the web after the awful, awful 127 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:08,559 Speaker 1: shooting in Texas earlier this year. Now it's not clear 128 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: if the Sandy Hook conspiracy theories started with Alex Jones, 129 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: but the family say that Alex Jones, with his millions 130 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: of listeners, lit a match and ignited it and turned 131 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: their lives into a nightmare. Neil Husslin testified that Alex 132 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: Jones turned his life into a quote living hell, and 133 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: that because of Jones, he had been harassed and threatened, 134 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: saying what was said about me and Sandy Hook itself 135 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 1: resonates around the world as time went on, I truly 136 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: realized how dangerous it was. My life has been threatened. 137 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: I fear for my life. I fear for my safety. 138 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: I can't even describe the last nine and a half 139 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: years of the living hell that I and others had. 140 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 4: Had an indoor because of the negligence and the recklessness 141 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 4: of Alex Jones. 142 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: Now, Alex Jones was called in multiple lives during the 143 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: corporate seeding. Honestly, it would take way too much time 144 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: to list through all of them here, but here's a 145 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: little sampling. At one point, the plaintiff's lawyers asked Jones 146 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: if he had tried to connect Maya Guerrera Gamble, the 147 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: judge overseeing the trial, to things like human trafficking and pedophilia, 148 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: and he said no, and then the lawyer played a 149 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: clip of him doing exactly that. Jones went on his 150 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: show and noted that the judge once worked for CPS 151 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: or Child Productive Services. 152 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 2: Judge, Maya Gamble comes from the CPS who has been 153 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 2: exposed from. 154 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,319 Speaker 3: Human trafficking in working with the head of files. 155 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 2: That's what you mean when you say you're taking the series. 156 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: I take this to sure. It's just an answer. And 157 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: in one of the more bizarre lies that I had 158 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: ever seen happen in a courtroom, Jones testified that he 159 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: searched his own cell phone for any mention of Sandy 160 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 1: Hook and that he didn't find anything. So that means 161 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: he did not give any text messages about Sandy Hook 162 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 1: from his phone to the court as evidence, because as 163 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: he said, there weren't any. But that turned out to 164 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: be a lie, which was revealed in the most ridiculous 165 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: way you could ever imagine. Apparently, Jones's attorneys accidentally sent 166 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: the content of two years worth of text messages from 167 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: his cell phone to the plaintiff's attorney, and then, after 168 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 1: the plaintiff's attorney did what they were supposed to do 169 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: and told them this, Alex Jones's attorneys took no action 170 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: to remedy it. So that's how it was determined that 171 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: there actually were text messages on Jones's phone pertaining to 172 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: Standy Hook, and that he failed to turn them over 173 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: to the court as evidence and lied about it pretty badly, 174 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:40,520 Speaker 1: I should add. 175 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 2: Mister Jones, did you know that twelve days ago, twelve 176 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 2: days ago, your attorneys messed up and sitting an entire 177 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 2: digital copy over your entire cell phone with every text 178 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 2: message you've sent for the past two years, and when informed, 179 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 2: did not take any steps to identify it as privileged 180 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 2: or protect it in any way, and as of two 181 00:10:04,679 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 2: days ago, it fell fretty and clear into my possession, 182 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:08,400 Speaker 2: and that is how. 183 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 4: I know you lied to me. 184 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: This led the judge to giving Jones a pretty stunning 185 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: reminder that he is obligated to tell the truth because 186 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: he's under oath. Which I feel like if the judge 187 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: in court has to remind you that you can't lie 188 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: like something is going wrong, things are not going your way, You're. 189 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 3: Already under oath to tell the truth. You've already violated 190 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 3: that oath twice today in just those two examples. It 191 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 3: seems absurd to instruct you again that you must tell 192 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 3: the truth while you testify. Yet here I am you 193 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:52,400 Speaker 3: must tell the truth while you testify. This is not 194 00:10:52,920 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 3: your show. You need to slow down and not to 195 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 3: take what you see as opportunities to further the message 196 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 3: you want. 197 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 1: Let's take a quick break at her back. So we're 198 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 1: breaking down the Alex Jones trial for a defamation lawsuit 199 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 1: brought by the parents of the Sandy Hook School shooting victims, 200 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: and some of the different lies that Alex Jones got 201 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:42,679 Speaker 1: caught in during the proceedings. Jones also lied about being bankrupt. Basically, 202 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: he is being accused of suing himself. According to Reuters, 203 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: the Sandy Hook family said that the company could not 204 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: be trusted to make accurate statements about its finances, and 205 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: that Jones took sixty two million from the company while 206 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: burdening it with sixty five million in quote fabrication debt 207 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: owed to a company that he himself owns to try 208 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: to make it seem like he has less money than 209 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,439 Speaker 1: he actually does to avoid having to pay more in damages. 210 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,000 Speaker 1: But despite what he might have tried to say in court, 211 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,440 Speaker 1: Alex Jones actually makes really really good money telling lies 212 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: about the families of murdered children. After the plaintiff's Atorneys 213 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:24,079 Speaker 1: got the contents of his cell phone from that ridiculous 214 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:27,439 Speaker 1: mistake that Alex Jones's own lawyer made, Jones had to 215 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: admit in court that he is not as cash strapped 216 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: as he tried to say he was. In fact, he 217 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: admitted that during some peak periods, the Info War Store 218 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: can rake in as much as a whopping eight hundred 219 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 1: thousand dollars a day, and that he takes in three 220 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: hundred million annually. Now, Jones has also tried to say 221 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: that he lost lots and lots of money after being 222 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: deplatformed from major social media platforms back in twenty eighteen. 223 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:58,199 Speaker 1: But actually, as Box points out, contrary to Jones's repeated assertions, 224 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:02,319 Speaker 1: he actually became more financially profitable after his company was 225 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: permanently deplatformed. You might recall that Apple was the first 226 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: to pull Jones's podcast from their platform, and then other 227 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 1: big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter followed suit. And 228 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 1: it would not be an episode of this podcast if 229 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: I didn't get in a little dig at Facebook. After 230 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: Jones was deplatformed from Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg personally intervened to 231 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,560 Speaker 1: soften rules to allow his content to continue to be 232 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: posted on the platform by Jones's followers, according to a 233 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: report from BuzzFeed. So this is something that I think 234 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: is really key. Harmful lies, disinformation, and conspiracy theories are lucrative. 235 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: Info Wars makes a lot of money from peddling harmful 236 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: conspiracy theories that ruin people's lives, people who were already 237 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: grieving for the most painful loss imaginable, and caused real 238 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,360 Speaker 1: world harm in doing so. People like Alex Jones, who 239 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: traffic and lives do it in part because it makes 240 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: them money, their grifters and scam and there is no 241 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: limit to how low they will stoop, even lies about 242 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: dead children to make a profit. And even though this 243 00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 1: four point one million dollar judgment really isn't a lot 244 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:13,360 Speaker 1: of money, like it kind of sounds like it might 245 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 1: be a drop in the bucket for somebody like Alex Jones, 246 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: I still do hope that it sends a message that dooming, 247 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 1: this trafficking and harmful lies that hurt people and ruin 248 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: people's lives for profit comes at a cost. And I 249 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 1: want to end with some of the most powerful testimony 250 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: that I think we saw, which came from Scarlett Lewis, 251 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: Jesse's mom, who spoke directly to Alex Jones in the courtroom. 252 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:43,680 Speaker 4: Truth is so vital to our ural Truth is what 253 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:46,920 Speaker 4: we base our reality on. We have to agree on 254 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 4: that to have a civil society. 255 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 3: Sandy Hook is a hard truth, hard truth. 256 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 4: Nobody would want to ever believe that twenty six kids 257 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 4: could be murdered. Nobody would ever want to believe that. 258 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 4: I understand people not wanting to believe that. Actually I 259 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 4: don't want to believe it. 260 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: Jesse was real. 261 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 4: I am a real mom. There's nothing out there nothing. 262 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 4: There's records of Jesse's birth of me. I mean, I 263 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,760 Speaker 4: have a history, and there's nothing that you could have 264 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 4: found because it doesn't exist that I'm deep state. It's 265 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 4: just not true. I know you know that. That's the problem. 266 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 4: I know you know that, and you keep saying it. 267 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:40,760 Speaker 4: You keep saying it. Why Why for money? Because you've 268 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 4: made a lot of money. 269 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 3: Why you've said it? 270 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: And She's right, Alex Jones has made a lot of 271 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: money lying about her son and harming her family. And 272 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:53,720 Speaker 1: that's really the thing here. Listen. I am glad that 273 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: the jury awarded Scarlett Lewis and Neil Hesland some money 274 00:15:57,040 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: for what Alex Jones put them through, because it sounds 275 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: like hell, and I hope they get even more impunitive damages. Frankly, 276 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: I hope the families that Alex Jones is hurt take 277 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 1: him for everything he's got. But I know that money 278 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: cannot bring back their son, Jesse, and it can't turn 279 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: him back the clock on the last few years that 280 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: Alex Jones has spent lying about their son, weaponizing his death, 281 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: and getting its followers to harass and threaten them, And 282 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: it can't undo the damage done to all of us. 283 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: When harmful lies are platformed, it makes us all less safe. 284 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: We saw this on January sixth. It can empower and 285 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 1: embolden really dangerous people, and we cannot have a healthy 286 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: digital landscape if these kinds of dangerous lies are also profitable, 287 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: because it will just incentivize trafficking in them. Let's build 288 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: a world where scammers like Alex Jones can't get rich 289 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: off of peddling the kinds of lies that tore Scarlet 290 00:16:54,200 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: and Niel's life apart. We all deserve better. If you're 291 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: looking for ways to support the show, check out our 292 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 1: March store at tangoti dot com slash store. Got a 293 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:09,720 Speaker 1: story about an interesting thing in tech, or just want 294 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 1: to say hi, You can reach us at Hello at 295 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,439 Speaker 1: teangody dot com. You can also find transcripts for today's 296 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 1: episode at TENG Goody dot com. There Are No Girls 297 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: on the Internet was created by me Bridget tod. It's 298 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio, an unbossed creative edited by Joey 299 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: pat Jonathan Strickland as our executive producer. Tarry Harrison is 300 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: our producer and sound engineer. Michael Almada is our contributing producer. 301 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 1: I'm your host, bridget Todd. If you want to help 302 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,480 Speaker 1: us grow, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. For 303 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 304 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.