Metatime Community Voices Outrage As 1,000s Of Twitter Users Blocked For Airdrop Campaign
Metatime’s community accuses Twitter and Elon Musk of discriminatory practices as thousands of accounts are suspended for participating in an airdrop campaign, sparking a global outcry and the trending hashtag #FreeMetatime in support of free speech.
Metatime’s community is calling out Twitter and its owner Elon Musk, accusing them of discriminatory practices after an estimated 100,000 active and authentic user accounts were either blocked or suspended for participating in an airdrop campaign.
In response to the account suspensions, the hashtag “#FreeMetatime” is trending as thousands of the project’s fans and other crypto supporters voice their displeasure at Twitter, which was supposed to become a bastion of free speech under Musk.
The account suspensions occurred shortly after Metatime, a blockchain project based in Turkey, announced the launch of its first major airdrop of MTC tokens. In order to earn tokens through the airdrop, community members were asked to link their social media account and then promote the project on social media by sharing and retweeting its posts.
These kinds of airdrop campaigns are a standard promotional tactic in the crypto industry and Twitter’s terms and conditions do not prohibit such activity. Yet within hours of Metatime launching its airdrop campaign, Twitter began flagging and either suspending or deleting outright accounts that participated by retweeting Metatime’s original post.
Such a heavy handed response by Twitter has been met with an angry backlash as crypto users from across the world rally in support of Metatime and the right to freedom of speech. Hundreds of tweets with the #FreeMetatime hashtags are being accompanied by user’s selfies and placards containing the word’s “FreeMetatime”, in solidarity with those who’ve lost access to their accounts.
MetaTime is all of us. Don’t be unfair to MetaTime. #MTC #FreeMetatime pic.twitter.com/b2jnuhGJLQ
— おばらみずき (@mizuki87138) June 15, 2023
People are angry, and not just because Twitter blocked the accounts associated with Metatime. Rather, they see it as yet another example of an attack on the freedom of speech.
Blocking Metatime users on Twitter is unacceptable…#FreeMetatime @Yusuf_Metatime @metatimecom @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/hbXRKXiDXv
— $~MTC~$ #ZAG (@zalimm2727) June 15, 2023
“This issue isn’t solely ours but a global one,” Metatime CEO Yusuf Sevim said in a tweet directly to Elon Musk. “Because the problem isn’t just about obstructing a promising project like Metatime or usurping a group of users’ rights. It’s also about the question of who and how the boundaries of freedom of thought and expression are determined.”
🚨 Urgent attention needed! The unjust suspensions of MetaAirdrop participants on Twitter must be addressed. We call upon the community to support #FreeMetatime and shed light on this concerning issue.@ElonMusk @metatimecom @Yusuf_Metatime @HysSahin #Injustice #StandForFairness https://t.co/bdRMgalwN9
— Aznofa.eth 🐐 🚢 (@MistEarly) June 16, 2023
Musk himself is yet to respond to Sevim’s tweet, which calls on him to support the community’s right to stand together and express its ideas freely. However, while many accounts are still blocked, the outpouring of community support appears to have had some impact, with reports of some accounts having their suspensions lifted.
Still, the community around Metatime has refused to give up, with numerous voices vowing to keep up their protests until everyone’s rights are protected.
1️⃣ Share the hashtag: Spread the word on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Use #FreeMetatime to raise awareness about the unjust suspensions and the need for fair treatment of MetaAirdrop participants.
— Aznofa.eth 🐐 🚢 (@MistEarly) June 16, 2023
The words were echoed by Metatime co-founder and chief of blockchain Hys Sahin, who tweeted his appreciation for the community’s incredible support, and vowed to keep up the pressure until every single account has been restored:
Dear Metatime family,
A heartfelt thank you to all who stood by our fellow members with suddenly blocked Twitter accounts. Your support, shown through “Free Metatime” posts, is truly remarkable.
We appreciate your efforts to raise awareness and help those affected, even though… https://t.co/rv2O1PkAGt
— Hys Sahin (@HysSahin) June 15, 2023
Twitter has yet to officially acknowledge the account suspensions or give any reasons as to why they happened. In the meantime, the #FreeMetatime campaign continues apace, in a classic example of the crypto community coming together to show it will not be silenced.
