Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana is out of Twitter jail but only after the company's owner, Elon Musk, stepped in to bring some common sense to the social media giant's policies.
The lawmaker had been informed on Monday that his profile picture violated Twitter's rules against “graphic violence or adult content in profile images.” The “violence” in question was a photograph of Daines and his wife, Cindy, posing with an antelope they hunted. Only a few drops of blood are visible when the photo is enlarged.
“The Senator thinks it’s preposterous that a picture of him and his wife hunting — an activity that is engrained in the Montana way of life — would be against Twitter rules,” the senator’s office said. “Our team has reached out to Twitter, and we’ll be working to get this resolved.”
Initially, a Twitter representative said images of dead animals or blood in profile photos are not allowed because they can’t “label them as NSFW and keep them from being seen by users who specifically don’t want to see graphic images, including minors.”
Several of his colleagues rallied to his defense.
Ridiculous. My friend @SteveDaines is in @Twitter jail for posting this pic w/ his wife Cindy.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 7, 2023
If you don’t like hunting, fine, don’t go. But don’t censor others who disagree.
And I’m pretty sure this is a formal job responsibility for a senator from Montana!#FreeSteveDaines pic.twitter.com/t6VdYNYe5u
I hope @Twitter doesn't suspend me for this graphic image where I am clearly taking bites out of a dead cow. #FreeSteveDaines pic.twitter.com/tLrtcAkal2
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) February 7, 2023
Hey @elonmusk - Why is Twitter putting @SteveDaines in Twitter jail? For his wife being a good shot? I guess since I’ve updated my profile picture, I better turn myself in. #FreeSteveDaines #NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/pCGQGDe2NJ
— Senator Mike Rounds (@SenatorRounds) February 7, 2023
Congrats Cindy & @SteveDaines on a successful hunt. If @Twitter is so jealous, they should ask for an invite next time, but they certainly shouldn't ban him.
— Jim Risch (@SenatorRisch) February 7, 2023
Hunting is part of Idaho's culture just like it is in Montana & across the West. What is Twitter doing?#FreeSteveDaines pic.twitter.com/4ctuiBq3m4
A spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which Daines chairs, also called out Twitter.
"This is insane. Twitter should immediately reverse this suspension,” said Philip Letsou in a statement.
Fortunately Twitter chief Elon Musk stepped in to have the policy amended.
“Policy against showing blood in profile pic is being amended to ‘clearly showing blood without clicking on the profile pic’,” he said. “The intent is to avoid people being forced to see gruesome profile pics.”
Musk added: “Going forward, Twitter will be broadly accepting of different values, rather than trying to impose its own specific values on the world.”
This is being fixed. Policy against showing blood in profile pic is being amended to “clearly showing blood without clicking on the profile pic”.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2023
The intent is to avoid people being forced to see gruesome profile pics.
Going forward, Twitter will be broadly accepting of different values, rather than trying to impose its own specific values on the world
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2023