A Meta official confirmed to Rolling Stone that Kanye West’s Instagram has been restricted and certain content has been deleted for violating parent company Meta’s regulations. The news comes after a week of controversy, which began when he showed T-shirts with the words “White Lives Matter” at his YZY fashion show in Paris on Monday.
Repeated violations of the platform’s policies and standards may result in a user’s ability to post, send DMs, or remark being restricted. It’s unknown what West posted that prompted the restriction and deletion of information, or how long the ban will last.
The ban followed a reported argument between the rapper and Diddy that some users saw as anti-Semitic. The post was later removed. Earlier this week, Diddy chastised West for the T-shirts he displayed in Paris.
Following the reported exchange between West and Diddy, the American Jewish Committee published a statement. “Kanye West has had a spectacular streak of rants this week, even by his standards,” the statement says. “Ye must understand that words count, especially in light of a terrible antisemitic rant that recently surfaced on social media.” If he wants to have any credibility as a social critic, let alone as a musician, he should first figure out how to make a point without inciting hatred of Jews.”
West responded to the Instagram restriction by hopping on to Twitter for the first time in nearly two years to taunt Meta and call out Mark Zuckerberg. “Look at this Mark,” West wrote, sharing a photo of the two of them together. “How you gone kick me off instagram.”
However, West’s return to Twitter was not without incident: In response to an article calling West anti-Semitic, the rapper tweeted on Saturday night, “I’m a bit sleepy now but when I wake up I’m going death con.” JEWISH PEOPLE 3 The odd thing is that I can’t be anti-Semitic since black people are truly Jews. You’ve also played with me by blackballing everybody who opposes your plan.” Twitter quickly removed the tweet, alleging policy violations.
Despite being welcomed back by potential Twitter owner Elon Musk, by Sunday morning West’s account was “locked due to a violation of Twitter’s policies,” a company spokesperson told Mediaite. (West’s Twitter remains publicly visible, he just can’t go “Death Con 3” now.)
The Instagram restriction takes West’s long week of controversies and stretched them into the weekend.
On Friday, in the middle of a two-part interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, West began making statements on Instagram that appeared to blame his critics on Jews. West allegedly promised Diddy in a text message that he would “show the Jews who told you to call me that no one can intimidate or affect me.”