“Unplanned,” a film on a former abortion clinic director who became pro-life, opened in theaters Friday, but Twitter temporarily suspended the movie’s account Saturday, causing pro-lifers to question its reasoning. Twitter suspended the account Saturday morning and reinstated it later in the day. The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to the social media platform for comment and learned a different account violated Twitter rules, causing the system to suspend related accounts, according to Twitter. When Twitter took a second look, it decided the “Unplanned” account should not be suspended and reinstated it. Twitter did not specify what other related account had caused this. BREAKING: The official Unplanned Movie account has been suspended by @Twitter on opening weekend. This is unacceptable, @jack. — Live Action (@LiveAction) March 30, 2019 Live Action founder Lila Rose suggested her group and “Unplanned” face censorship because of their pro-life views. “Twitter just suspended @UnplannedMovie during the weekend of its theatrical release. @jack why are they suspended?” Rose tweeted. “You’ve banned both my & @LiveAction account from all promotions simply bc we’re pro-life. Have you banned this account because it challenges your pro-abortion bias?” Twitter just suspended @UnplannedMovie during the weekend of its theatrical release. @jack why are they suspended? You’ve banned both my & @LiveAction account from all promotions simply bc we’re pro-life. Have you banned this account because it challenges your pro-abortion bias? pic.twitter.com/TBarDx2sU4 — Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) March 30, 2019 “Unplanned” tells the story of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director and one of the youngest directors of a Planned Parenthood in the nation. Johnson said she left Planned Parenthood in 2009 after assisting in an ultrasound-guided abortion of a 13-week-old unborn baby. (RELATED: ‘Unplanned’ Hits Theaters, Recounts The Emotional Story Of A Former Abortion Clinic Worker) “Thankfully our supporters quickly rallied for ‘Unplanned’ because they are seeing the unbelievable effect it is having across the country, the healing taking place, and the hypocrisy of those who are trying to shut it down,” Johnson told TheDCNF. “I urge everyone- pro-life or pro-choice- to see ‘Unplanned’ and realize exactly what they support.” Johnson also pointed out the disparity between the rally cry of anti-Kavanaugh supporters and the treatment pro-life women are given. “Liberals want women to be heard, for their stories to be told for us all to ‘trust women’ — except for when it’s a woman who had a radical change of heart on abortion,” Johnson added. The “Unplanned” account reported Saturday afternoon it gained 10,000 new followers since the temporary suspension. Follow Mary Margaret on Twitter. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.<doc-sep>Continuing its somewhat haphazard and opaque policy of banning some controversial things while ignoring others, today briefly suspended the account for the anti-abortion movie Unplanned. The account was later restored, but not before igniting an uproar. Pro-life advocates argued that the account was taken down during the movie’s opening weekend to suppress turnout. They flooded Twitter support and the company’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, with complaints, and shortly thereafter, the account was restored. The movie’s producers thanked all for the support. “We are back and excited for the great response we’re getting in theaters this weekend. #grateful.” Reports indicated Twitter suspended the account because it was linked to another account that violated Twitter’s code of conduct. The algorithms of Twitter then automatically suspend linked accounts. Ironically, if the intent to shut down the account was an attempt to damage awareness, it failed. The producers reported via Twitter that they have acquired 8,000 new followers once they returned to active status. Unplanned is produced by Pure Flix and is derived from a 2009 memoir of the same name by former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson, who witnessed an abortion and turned pro-life. *UPDATE 10K NEW FOLLOWERS SINCE BEING REINSTATED — UnplannedMovie (@UnplannedMovie) March 30, 2019<doc-sep>The highly-anticipated pro-life movie, "Unplanned," had their Twitter account suspended on Saturday. The sudden suspension caused a backlash from pro-life advocates who said it was not a coincidence that the suspension happened during the movie's opening weekend. Twitter just suspended @UnplannedMovie during the weekend of its theatrical release. @jack why are they suspended? You’ve banned both my & @LiveAction account from all promotions simply bc we’re pro-life. Have you banned this account because it challenges your pro-abortion bias? pic.twitter.com/TBarDx2sU4 — Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) March 30, 2019 It wasn't until people began tweeting Twitter support and the social media company's CEO, Jack Dorsey, that people began to notice. Why did @Twitter suspend @UnplannedMovie account? ! An anti-abortion movie debuting NATIONWIDE in theaters this weekend gets suspended? Does Twitter support murdering babies? Does Twitter NOT support saving babies? #prolife — Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) March 30, 2019 Did Twitter suspend pro-life film @UnplannedMovie account? — Jack Posobiec ???? (@JackPosobiec) March 30, 2019 I’m curious. Why did Twitter shut down @UnplannedMovie account? — Chad Prather (@WatchChad) March 30, 2019 Twitter has suspended @UnplannedMovie and every major network other than Fox News will not run its advertisement's. Tell me again how the liberals do not have an iron grip on what you are allowed to see and hear. — Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) March 30, 2019 Why did Jack and @Twitter suspend the @unplannedmovie account? They don’t want you to see this movie! Make your voices heard and tell your friends to go see the movie this weekend! #unplanned #unplannedmovie @_AshleyBratcher https://t.co/MzZbs2Oq3l — Mike Lindell (@realMikeLindell) March 30, 2019 I say this because I have seen so many other accounts of different ideological persuasion that DO violate TOS (sending death threats, doxxing, etc) that are allowed to remain up and active even after reporting. — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 30, 2019 Jack may be genuine in wanting Twitter to operate fairly, but the company’s culture, as evidenced by the suspensions I’ve referenced, challenge that, or at least challenge how he wants to run the company. — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 30, 2019 And literally as I typed the last Tweet @UnplannedMovie was restored, thankfully, as it’s their opening weekend. I hope @TwitterSupport looks into how stuff like this keeps happening. It can’t all be algorithms, can it? — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 30, 2019 Suddenly the account was reinstated. “It wasn’t directly about this account," Twitter told Breitbart. “When an account violates the Twitter Rules, the system looks for linked accounts to mitigate things like ban evasion. In this case, on a second review, it was clear the account should not be affected by the other account’s suspension. Unplanned’s account is back up! Thanks everyone - your comments/RTs do make a difference! Now let’s go see it! @UnplannedMovie https://t.co/Y9gXghkNF4 — Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) March 30, 2019 Thank you everyone for your support in letting @Jack & @Twitter know when our Unplanned Movie account was recently suspended without cause. We are back and excited for the great response we're getting in theaters this weekend.#grateful https://t.co/vTmhqoXIWm — UnplannedMovie (@UnplannedMovie) March 30, 2019 According to movie executives, people "maliciously and falsely" reported their account to Twitter. We would like to thank the people who maliciously and falsely reported UnplannedMovie to @Twitter. Notice followers before and after. Your move... #unplannedreaction pic.twitter.com/dHZ7Xxz8u5 — UnplannedMovie (@UnplannedMovie) March 30, 2019 Twitter told<doc-sep>
Conservative figures reacted with outrage earlier today as Twitter suspended the official account of Unplanned during the pro-life movie’s week of release. The account was restored shortly after its suspension, which Twitter said was related to the ban of a different account. Unplanned, directed by Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon and starring Ashley Bratcher, tells the true-life story of Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood director who becomes a pro-life activist after witnessing a fetus struggling for life during an abortion at thirteen weeks gestation. The film was released in U.S. theaters yesterday with a R-rating, which drew accusations of political bias against the MPAA, which assigns movie age ratings. Twitter suspended Unplanned‘s official account, @UnplannedMovie earlier today. The social media platform has been widely criticized for alleged discrimination against conservatives, right-wingers. Conservatives activists began lambasting Twitter for its decision shortly after the suspension. Lila Rose, director of the pro-life media movement Live Action also pointing out that the platform has banned her organization from running ads. In a comment to Breitbart News, Twitter said that the suspension of Unplanned was an error related to the ban of a different account. “It wasn’t directly about this account” said Twitter. “When an account violates the Twitter Rules, the system looks for linked accounts to mitigate things like ban evasion. In this case, on a second review, it was clear the account should not be affected by the other account’s suspension.” Twitter just suspended @UnplannedMovie during the weekend of its theatrical release. @jack why are they suspended? You’ve banned both my & @LiveAction account from all promotions simply bc we’re pro-life. Have you banned this account because it challenges your pro-abortion bias? pic.twitter.com/TBarDx2sU4 — Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) March 30, 2019 MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell also criticized Twitter’s decision, and urged his followers to tell their friends to see Unplanned this weekend. Why did Jack and @Twitter suspend the @unplannedmovie account? They don’t want you to see this movie! Make your voices heard and tell your friends to go see the movie this weekend! #unplanned #unplannedmovie @_AshleyBratcher https://t.co/MzZbs2Oq3l — Mike Lindell (@realMikeLindell) March 30, 2019 Other prominent conservatives also demanded answers from Twitter. Why did @Twitter suspend @UnplannedMovie account?! An anti-abortion movie debuting NATIONWIDE in theaters this weekend gets suspended? Does Twitter support murdering babies? Does Twitter NOT support saving babies? #prolife — Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) March 30, 2019 Did Twitter suspend pro-life film @UnplannedMovie account? — Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) March 30, 2019 I’m curious. Why did Twitter shut down @UnplannedMovie account? — Chad Prather (@WatchChad) March 30, 2019 Twitter has suspended @UnplannedMovie and every major network other than Fox News will not run its advertisement's. Tell me again how the liberals do not have an iron grip on what you are allowed to see and hear. — Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) March 30, 2019 The account was unsuspended within an hour of its takedown, and thanked supporters of the movie for raising the alarm. Thank you everyone for your support in letting @Jack & @Twitter know when our Unplanned Movie account was recently suspended without cause. We are back and excited for the great response we're getting in theaters this weekend.#grateful https://t.co/vTmhqoXIWm — UnplannedMovie (@UnplannedMovie) March 30, 2019 Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter, Gab.ai and add him on Facebook. Email tips and suggestions to allumbokhari@protonmail.com.