Clubhouse Bans Far-Right Figure Laura Loomer Over Reported Anti-Muslim Remarks

Provocateur Laura Loomer has become at least the second far-right figure to have their account suspended by the invitation-only Clubhouse app, violating the platform's "violence policy" during a discussion in which she reportedly railed against Muslims.

Loomer, who previously described herself as a "proud Islamophobe," gained national notoriety after handcuffing herself to Twitter's headquarters in 2018 in protest of her ban from that social media platform. Her suspension this week from Clubhouse comes amid weeks of conservatives flocking to it and Parler as "free speech" alternatives to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Reports emerged Friday of Loomer's suspension following a recent live chat in which she described becoming "roadkill" if Uber doesn't vet its Muslim drivers.

"I joined Clubhouse last night around 9 p.m. EST and created an account. It was my first time ever on Clubhouse. I joined and participated in a chat called 'App store hate speech double standard: Parler vs clubhouse,'" Loomer wrote in a post that was later shared by Media Matters researcher Alex Kaplan on Twitter Saturday.

"I followed all the rules and simply had a conversation about censorship. Less than 12 hours later, it's 7 a.m. EST, and I'm banned from clubhouse for what they are calling a violation of their 'violence policy. Incredible."

Newsweek reached out Saturday morning to Clubhouse, a Silicon Valley-centric, audio-only app created last year, for additional details about the reported ban and "violence policy" rules. The invitation-only app has kept a relatively tight lid on its number of members and operates by allowing users to enter so-called virtual rooms to hear others speak on various topics.

Salon's Zachary Petrizzo reported Friday evening that Loomer has "doubled down" on her anti-Muslim remarks about Islamic Uber drivers, demanding increased background checks.

Loomer first criticized Lyft and Uber after a November 2017 New York City terror attack by an Uzbek national killed eight people and injured eleven. She demanded a Muslim-free alternative ride sharing service in posts on Twitter, an app that she is also now banned from as well.

Loomer was widely derided In 2017 as Islamophobic because she tweeted "Good, here's to 2,000 more," in response to reports that 2,000 migrants died while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Europe.

Many right-wing figures, including Roger Stone, Jack Posobiec and Mike Cernovich, turned to Clubhouse earlier this year due to perceived threats of "deplatforming" among conservatives.

White nationalist Nicholas Fuentes was also reportedly banned from Clubhouse within recent weeks.