Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones is fighting against the sale of his personal social media accounts in the upcoming auction of his Infowars media platform. He owes more than $1 billion to relatives of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jones claims that selling his accounts would violate his privacy and prevent him from making a fresh start after bankruptcy.
The trustee overseeing the liquidation of Infowars and its parent company is seeking to include the social media accounts in the auctions scheduled for November and December. Jones’ lawyers argue that the accounts using his real name are not owned by Infowars or its parent company and should be considered part of his personal “persona.” They believe that the trustee does not have the right to sell these accounts as property.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston has delayed a decision on the matter and scheduled another hearing for clarification. The trustee is also seeking to sell off the rights to royalties from Jones’ book and video game.
Despite the pending loss of his company, Jones plans to continue his talk shows through other means, such as a new website and his personal social media accounts. He has suggested that his supporters could buy Infowars’ assets, allowing him to continue hosting his show.
The trustee argues that social media accounts of influencers, celebrities, and political personalities have become valuable assets. Jones’ accounts have drawn interest from multiple parties for potential purchase. If sold, litigation may depend on who the purchaser is.
Jones and his company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2022 after losing defamation and emotional distress lawsuits filed by Sandy Hook families. They were awarded nearly $1.5 billion for Jones’ claims that the school shooting was a hoax. Jones is appealing the verdicts, citing free speech rights.
The families of the victims testified that they were traumatized by Jones’ conspiracy theories and faced harassment and threats from his followers. Jones has since acknowledged that the shooting did happen.
In conclusion, Alex Jones is in a legal battle to protect his personal social media accounts from being sold in the auction of his Infowars media platform. The outcome of this dispute will have significant implications for Jones and his future endeavors.
