Social media platform X has suspended the account of 'Barry Stanton' after a surge of backlash from Indian users. The account, known for its offensive and racist content targeting Indians and Indian immigrants, was condemned by Indian users who flagged Stanton's offensive posts.
With over 1.8 lakh followers, the account was known for its derogatory cartoons and memes. Posts included graphic depictions of Indians in unsanitary conditions and offensive comments about driving Indians away from “white neighbourhoods”. The account also posted hateful remarks about Jews and Africans.
Several Indian users called out X owner Elon Musk for not suspending the account earlier. The suspension became a trending topic on X, with the hashtag #Suspended trending nationally on Friday morning.
Who is Barry Stanton?
As per Barry Stanton's bio, he is a British national and a father of five. However, investigations revealed the photos associated with the account were of an unrelated pensioner from Worcestershire. Reports suggest the 'Barry Stanton' account might be a parody or a vehicle for racist views disguised under a false identity.
The account's offensive content had been active for years, gaining thousands of retweets. One post, which mocked an Indian school lesson, received over 4,000 retweets.
X user Akshit Singh brought the controversial account to the attention of Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw and the UK High Commission. He requested an investigation into the account's activities, stating, "This account has been disseminating hate speech and offensive remarks targeting individuals based on their race and nationality."
In his complaint, Mr Singh asked the Ministry to take three actions. First, he requested an investigation into the account activities. Second, he asked for the account to be banned in India. Last, he urged the Ministry to enforce rules against hateful content.