Twitter on Wednesday suspended @YourAnonNews, an Anonymous-affiliated account with 750,000 followers.
The handlers behind the suspended account quickly migrated to @YANBackUp, which was set up for just this occasion:
This account will remain dorment unless: 1. @youranonnews gets rate limited. 2. @youranonnews gets suspended. - From the #YAN team.— YANBackUp (@YANBackUp) December 5, 2012
Free speech is dead.— YANBackUp (@YANBackUp) December 19, 2012
#Anonymous, #YAN and its contributors wait to hear from @twitter. Our ticket number is #6930160.— YANBackUp (@YANBackUp) December 19, 2012
Update: Twitter has reactivated @YourAnonNews, which was apparently disabled for sharing private information, according to a screenshot of an email posted by @YANbackup:
Other top Anonymous accounts are still active and tweeting in support of @YourAnonNews. Some observers are expecting Anonymous to unleash a cyberoffensive against Twitter in retribution for the suspension. However, major Anonymous accounts are refuting that, arguing Twitter is a platform for Anonymous' speech and should not be targeted.
those of us who are level minded are NOT declaring war on Twitter.we are waiting for the request for #YAN to be unsuspended to b submit'd.— Anonymous (@an0nyc) December 19, 2012
This will not be a war between #Anonymous and @twitter. #Anons won't attack the media and the very same platforms we use to communicate.— Anonymous (@AnonIRC) December 19, 2012
Mashable has reached out to Twitter for more information.
The account suspension may be connected to Anonymous' recent crusade against the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, during which members of the hacktivist collective posted the personal information of church members.