'Oh God, here we go': Internet responds with memes as Elon Musk reinstates Alex Jones' account

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: Elon Musk, the tech mogul behind X (formerly Twitter), has stirred a viral storm by signaling the reinstating controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' account.

Musk, now at the helm of X, initiated a poll for users to decide whether Jones, previously banned for breaching platform rules, should have his account restored. Surprisingly, around 70% of the approximately two million respondents voted in favor of lifting the ban, as reported by BBC.

Elon Musk framed Alex Jones' return as question of X's commitment to free speech

Jones, notorious for propagating false theories, notably claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting was a hoax, leading to a court ordering him to pay $1.5bn in damages to the victims' families. His removal from major platforms like YouTube and Facebook was a result of spreading baseless claims.

Initially resistant to reinstating Jones, Musk had cited personal reasons, mentioning the tragic loss of his own child as a motivation for maintaining the ban. However, in a significant turn of events, Musk chose to let the users decide Jones' fate.

Musk, acknowledging his vehement disagreement with Jones' contentious statements, framed the move as a question of the platform's commitment to free speech versus censorship. This decision aligns with Musk's recent stance on free speech, where he prioritizes principles over potential financial repercussions.

Reactions flood in following Elon Musk's reinstatement of Alex Jones' X account

The internet wasted no time in responding to Musk's move with a flood of memes capturing the mixed emotions and reactions.

One user shared a meme exclaiming, "Oh God, here we go," reflecting the apprehensive sentiment surrounding Jones' potential return. Meanwhile, another user posted an old clip of Jones, wide-eyed and smiling, stirring both humor and unease.

A third meme, featuring a scene from 'The Office' with Michael Scott pleading, 'No. No God, Please No', conveyed the shared concerns about Jones' re-entry.

Simultaneously, an old picture of Jones smiling, captioned 'Alex be like: I am already on X using a fake account,' added a touch of satire.

The internet's quirky side emerged as a user posted an image of Pepe the Frog smoking cigarettes from unconventional places, welcoming Jones back with a caption, 'Gm Gm and Welcome back Alex Jones'.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.