Users have accused Twitter of censoring WikiLeaks’ DNC email release after the related trending hashtag was suddenly pulled before returning to the trending list in a modified form.

“#DNCLeaks” was one of the top trending topics on Twitter this Friday with over 250,000 tweets reported to have been made under the hashtag since WikiLeaks released over 19,000 leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee.

Later on in the day, the hashtag was reported to have gone missing from the trending bar completely for around 20 minutes, before returning under the less popular hashtag “#DNCleak”. The change meant that those investigating the new trending hashtag would not see all of the other posts tagged under the previous version, effectively hiding over 250,000 tweets from the public.

“Twitter is still trying to censor this trend! Now #DNCleak is trending instead of original #DNCLeaks! Keep talking guys, expose corruption” commented one user on the change. “It seems @Twitter is now trying to push #DNCLeak instead of #DNCleaks in an effort to keep this from trending” posted another.

https://twitter.com/martiandeathray/status/756676571704938496

twitter is trending #DNCLeak instead of #DNCLeaks wow. i'm totally speechless at all this mass corruption — Z Deplorable (@zzzanthropology) July 23, 2016

Wary users have also brought up the fact that Twitter is now refusing people the ability to post links from “WikiLeaks.com”, only allowing those from “WikiLeaks.org” in what appears to be a further attempt to clamp down on WikiLeaks’ traffic flow during the DNC email leaks.

Attempts to link to the site will return users with an error message stating “This request looks like it might be automated. To protect our users from spam and other malicious activity, we can’t complete this action right now. Please try again later.”

WikiLeaks publicly called out Twitter on Thursday in defence of Breitbart Tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos after he was banned from the platform for having an online spat with Ghostbusters (2016) actress Leslie Jones.

“Cyber feudalism: @Twitter founder @Jack banned conservative gay libertarian @nero for speaking the ‘wrong’ way to actress @Lesdoggg” posted WikiLeaks, before adding “It is time @Twitter got out of the censorship/justice game. Let users create communal filter lists if need be.”

It is time @Twitter got out of the censorship/justice game. Let users create communal filter lists if need be. — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 21, 2016

“we don’t ban people for expressing their thoughts” replied Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. “Targeted abuse & inciting abuse against people however, that’s not allowed”.

we don't ban people for expressing their thoughts. Targeted abuse & inciting abuse against people however, that's not allowed — jack (@jack) July 21, 2016

“Like this?” replied WikiLeaks, linking to one of Jones’ tweets which clearly showed her inciting abuse against another Twitter user.

WikiLeaks then threatened Dorsey with the creation of a rival service if Twitter continued to run the site on an anti-free speech agenda, announcing “We will start a rival service if this keeps up because @WikiLeaks & our supporters are threatened by a space of feudal justice.”

We will start a rival service if this keeps up because @WikiLeaks & our supporters are threatened by a space of feudal justice. — WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 21, 2016

The DNC email leaks have so far uncovered the committee’s plans to work against Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders from the beginning in favor of Hillary Clinton, as well as dirty anti-Trump tactics, and a schedule of “off-record” meetings that were held with various large media outlets earlier this year.

Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington or like his page at Facebook.