A post shared on social media purports Twitter CEO Elon Musk has permanently banned New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez from the platform.

Verdict: False

The claim is baseless. The link included in the post leads to explicit content.

Fact Check:

Musk purchased thousands of acres of land near his SpaceX facility, preparing to build his own town just outside of Austin, Texas, The Wall Street Journal reported. Facebook’s and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, is developing a new social network that would compete with Twitter, focusing on users unhappy with Musk’s leadership, according to CNBC.

The post shares a link to an alleged article that purports Musk used his power as CEO to ban Cortez from using the social media platform. The article features an image of Musk laughing and one of Ocasio-Cortex with a concerned expression. “Never Mess with Elon Musk,” the caption reads.

“Elon Musk permanently bans AOC from Twitter,” the article reads. (RELATED: No, This Is Not A Real Headline About Male Pregnancy)

This claim is false. As of March 10, the Congresswoman is still posting on her verified Twitter account. Cortez has not mentioned any such ban on her other social media accounts. Likewise, Musk has not announced on his Twitter account that any such ban has taken effect. 

The link in the post does not lead to any credible article on the story that it is allegedly covering. The link leads to spam featuring explicit content and images.

Check Your Fact contacted Cortez’s office for comment. We will update this piece if a response is provided.

Musk received criticism from Cortez late last year when he suspended a journalist who posted his real-time location on twitter, claiming they could be used to harm him, according to Fox News.

This is not the first time misinformation has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim Attorney General Merrick Garland is launching an investigation into those who protest President Joe Biden.