Pepe the Frog Can Now Get You Banned From Twitter. Why Is It Even Considered a “Hate Symbol”? ALX Follow Dec 18, 2017 · 3 min read

There was a time when “Pepe the Frog” was once a popular, even mainstream, meme and now it is an official hate symbol according to the Anti-Defamation League. As of today, the use of image is now grounds for suspension from Twitter according to their new “Rules to Reduce Hateful Conduct and Abusive Behavior”. The infamous cartoon was created in 2008 by Matt Furie and has been used on social media by Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Wendy’s and many other public figures. So as the 2016 Presidential election runner up might say, “What Happened”?

The demonization of Pepe began with the popular use of the meme among supporters of 2016 Presidential candidate Donald Trump. It became so popular among the Trump base, that an image depicting Donald Trump as Pepe was even shared by the Donald himself on Twitter. As the meme started to become synonymous with support for Donald Trump, candidate Hillary Clinton posted an article titled “Donald Trump, Pepe the frog, and white supremacists: an explainer” on her official campaign website attempting to link its use to Neo-Nazi’s and white supremacists. Two weeks later, the Anti-Defamation League coincidentally declared it an official hate symbol. The ADL website depicts blatantly racist versions of Pepe with captions like “Kill Jews man” instead of the frog’s famous “Feels good man” which most people would find offensive. Does this really mean the use of any Pepe is racist?

This is was deceptive move by the ADL simply because they do not understand how memes are used. In Pepe’s prime as a meme, users would customize the image and post it as their own “Rare Pepe”. They would attach values to the images and treat them almost like trading cards. Inevitably, with the popular trend of photoshopping Pepe there were bound to be some edits that were racist and offensive but these posts were not in the majority. Many of the images used by Trump supporters depict Pepe as Donald Trump or somehow relate to him or his platform and are in no way racist. The ADL has unfairly labelled Pepe as a whole, a hate symbol, rather than condemning the images that blatantly express racism.

The ADL has made a mistake by declaring Pepe the Frog an official hate symbol and it could harm the way actual hate symbols are viewed. According to the ADL, a cartoon frog is now equivalent to the infamous Swastika used by the Nazis, as they are both categorized as “hate symbols” on their website. This is extremely problematic and could be considered offensive especially to those who are Jewish and have a personal connection with Holocaust survivors or victims. The ADL has equated a meme to a symbol that millions died under and are in no way similar. This is a reduction of the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Nazis and the ADL should not place an internet meme on the same level as actual hate symbols like the Swastika. This sets a dangerous precedent and they should use their power more responsibly if they expect to be treated as a serious and reliable source.

Since it is an official hate symbol, posting a picture of Pepe is now against Twitter’s new rules. The enactment of these new rules has been dubbed the “Twitter Purge” and its expected to disproportionately effect conservative users. It is clear that Twitter is in no way interested in allowing users to express themselves freely and would rather continue to target conservatives and libertarians.

I am calling on the Anti-Defamation League to remove Pepe the Frog as a hate symbol and while I have pretty much given up on Jack Dorsey, I am also calling on Twitter to stop their mistreatment of conservatives and libertarians on their platform.