Twitter permanently bans former KKK leader David Duke

Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke has been banned from Twitter for breaking the social media site’s rules against hate speech. 

A Twitter spokesperson confirmed in a statement to The Hill on Friday that Duke’s account was “permanently suspended for repeated violations of the Twitter Rules on hateful conduct.”

It was not immediately clear if a specific tweet or post caused Duke to be removed from the site. Twitter’s ban on hateful conduct prohibits users from promoting violent behavior or threatening people based on religious affiliation, race, ethnic origin and more.

A Twitter spokesperson told The Hill that the move “is in line with our recently-updated guidance on harmful links.”

The policy previously applied to those that could direct users to malware, terrorist websites and more. Earlier this week, Twitter updated the guidance to include “hateful conduct and violence.”

Duke was the leader of the KKK from 1974 to 1978.

Duke’s Twitter account has been active since 2009, Business Insider reported. His YouTube channel was suspended late last month. 

A Twitter spokesperson said last month, prior to Duke’s removal from the site, that he had not yet been removed because he is not currently a KKK member and “has distanced himself from the organization publicly,” Gizmodo reported.