Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is facing the potential sale of his personal social media accounts as part of the upcoming auction of his Infowars media platform to pay over $1 billion to the relatives of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims. Jones, who filed for bankruptcy in 2022, is seeking to protect his social media accounts, claiming that selling them would violate his privacy and deny him a chance to make a fresh start.
The trustee overseeing the liquidation of Infowars and its parent company has asked a federal judge to include the social media accounts in the auctions scheduled for November and December. Jones’ lawyers argue that the accounts are personally owned by him and should not be considered as assets that can be sold off. The judge has delayed a decision on this matter for at least a week.
Despite the impending loss of his company, Jones has vowed to continue his talk shows through other means, possibly including a new website and his personal social media accounts. The trustee is also seeking the rights to royalties from Jones’ book and video game.
During the civil trials related to the Sandy Hook shooting, families of the victims testified that they were harassed and threatened by Jones’ conspiracy theories. Jones is appealing the civil jury verdicts, maintaining his free speech rights while acknowledging that the shooting did, in fact, happen. The judge in the case is seeking clarity on the potential sale of Jones’ social media accounts to avoid litigation risks for potential buyers.
Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com