Twitter collapse in the face of fear of conservative retaliation

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Shares of Twitter Inc. (TWTR.N) fell 6% on Thursday after reports that Fox News had not tweeted for three weeks raised fears of a violent reaction from conservatives who protested against a presumed liberal bias in the company.

Twenty First Century Fox Inc. (FOXA.OFox News has not tweeted its 18.3 million followers since Nov. 8, an apparent boycott of the social network, Politico said Wednesday.

The Mediaite Media site reported on November 9th. The protesters targeted Carlson's home in Washington during a protest and issued threats, he told the Washington Post.

Fox News and Twitter declined to comment.

Facebook (FB.O) and other social media networks are facing calls for increased regulation and criticism of users' data processing and the role their platforms have played in a United States in recent years.

Nevertheless, analysts said the fall in Thursday's shares was an overreaction.

"I think people who want to be alarmist will say that this is the first step towards the loss of the Conservatives and that it could snowball. But at this point, I think it's too alarmist and I do not see it as a big problem. So I see this as a buying opportunity, "said FBN Analyst Shebly Seyrafi, who obtained an" outperformance "in the Twitter title.

Last month, Twitter released quarterly results well above Wall Street estimates, even after removing millions of fake accounts used for misinformation and other abuses.

In the past, the Conservatives have complained about the unfair closure of their accounts by Twitter and the so-called political bias of the California society.

Twitter this week restored the account of conservative commentator Jesse Kelly after elected US Senator Josh Hawley said Congress should investigate the company after closing Kelly's account and Canadian feminist Megan Murphy's account.

The company said on Wednesday it had suspended an account for identity theft of Russian President Vladimir Putin.