The Babylon Bee

{{Short description|Satirical news website}} {{italic title}} {{Use American English|date=January 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox website | name = ''The Babylon Bee'' | logo = Babylon Bee logo.png | screenshot = The_Babylon_Bee_screenshot_2021-07-12.png | type = Satirical publication | language = English | key_people = {{unbulleted list | Owner & CEO: Seth Dillon | Owner & CTO: Dan Dillon | Editor-in-chief: Kyle Mann }} | founder = Adam Ford | foundation = March 1, 2016 | headquarters = Jupiter, Florida, U.S. | current_status = Active | employees = | website = {{URL|https://babylonbee.com|babylonbee.com}} }}

'''''The Babylon Bee''''' is an American conservative Christian news satire website that publishes satirical articles on topics including religion, politics, current events, and public figures.

==History== {{Conservatism US|media}} [[File:Seth Dillon (52587569352) (cropped).jpg|alt=Portrait photograph of Seth Dillon from the shoulders up, wearing a white shirt and blue jacket, holding a microphone|thumb|left|Seth Dillon, owner and CEO of ''The Babylon Bee'']] ''The Babylon Bee'' was founded by Adam Ford and was launched on March 1, 2016.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |archive-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160421040947/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/04/04/fake-news-thats-good-for-the-soul/ |date=April 4, 2016 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/04/04/fake-news-thats-good-for-the-soul/ |title=Fake news that's good for the soul |accessdate=January 24, 2023 |author=Smietana, Bob |newspaper=The Washington Post |quote=The satire site, which began in early March, features witty headlines that poke fun at the foibles of churchgoers. The site is the brainchild of Adam Ford, 32, a Detroit dad who quit his day job a year and a half ago to produce Web content. His first project was Adam4d.com, a Web comic supported by small group of donors and a few ads. He's aiming bigger with the Babylon Bee, which he said attracted more than 1 million visitors in its first three weeks.}}</ref> It is headquartered in Jupiter, Florida, and employs around 24 people across the United States.<ref name=":9">{{cite web |access-date=August 28, 2021 |date=August 23, 2021 |first1=Jennifer |last1=Graham |url=https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/23/22638183/is-facebook-censoring-the-babylon-bee-or-does-the-mark-zuckerberg-just-not-get-jokes-conservatives |title=Can Facebook take a joke? This parody account doesn't think so |website=Deseret News |archive-date=August 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828142545/https://www.deseret.com/2021/8/23/22638183/is-facebook-censoring-the-babylon-bee-or-does-the-mark-zuckerberg-just-not-get-jokes-conservatives |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":20">{{Cite web |last=Persaud |first=Chris |date=May 10, 2022 |title=Babylon Bee CEO of Juno Beach backs Twitter firebrand who calls LGBTQ people pedophiles |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2022/05/10/babylon-bee-ceo-juno-beach-backs-libs-tiktok-creator/7385009001/ |access-date=May 11, 2022 |website=The Palm Beach Post |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516050225/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2022/05/10/babylon-bee-ceo-juno-beach-backs-libs-tiktok-creator/7385009001/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey battered Houston, Texas, causing widespread flooding. In that context, ''The Babylon Bee'' satirically criticized televangelist Joel Osteen with a headline that read: "Joel Osteen Sails Luxury Yacht Through Flooded Houston to Pass Out Copies Of ''Your Best Life Now''". The article went viral, prompting a fact check from ''Snopes''.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=October 30, 2020 |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/osteen-yacht-houston-book-hurricane/ |title=Joel Osteen Sails Luxury Yacht Through Flooded Houston to Pass out Copies of His Book? |date=August 29, 2017 |last=LaCapria |first=Kim |language=en-US |website=Snopes |archive-date=June 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615031154/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/osteen-yacht-houston-book-hurricane/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Alfonso|first=Fernando III|date=September 1, 2017|title=Debunked: Fake Joel Osteen yacht story spreads after Hurricane Harvey shelter controversy|url=https://www.chron.com/lifestyle/houston-belief/article/Debunked-Fake-Joel-Osteen-yacht-story-spreads-12166782.php|access-date=June 24, 2021|website=Houston Chronicle|language=en-US|archive-date=June 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210621172737/https://www.chron.com/lifestyle/houston-belief/article/Debunked-Fake-Joel-Osteen-yacht-story-spreads-12166782.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Roy|first=Jessica|date=August 30, 2017|title=Your guide to spotting 'fake news' about Harvey (hint: there's no shark on the highway)|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/la-na-harvey-fake-news-spotting-20170830-story.html|access-date=June 16, 2021|website=The Baltimore Sun|archive-date=April 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417100522/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/la-na-harvey-fake-news-spotting-20170830-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In late 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Swift|first=Jim|date=September 1, 2021|title=What Happened to the Babylon Bee?|url=https://www.thebulwark.com/what-happened-to-the-babylon-bee/|access-date=September 7, 2021|website=The Bulwark|language=en-US|archive-date=June 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619010536/https://www.thebulwark.com/what-happened-to-the-babylon-bee/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ford sold the website to Seth Dillon.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=Graham |first=Jennifer |date=November 10, 2021 |title=How a preacher's son made The Babylon Bee sting |url=https://www.deseret.com/2021/11/10/22770662/how-a-preachers-son-made-the-babylon-bee-sting-politics-fakenews-evangelical-fox-news-jokes-humor |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112045326/https://www.deseret.com/2021/11/10/22770662/how-a-preachers-son-made-the-babylon-bee-sting-politics-fakenews-evangelical-fox-news-jokes-humor |archive-date=November 12, 2021 |access-date=November 12, 2021 |website=Deseret News |language=en}}</ref> In an interview with ''The Christian Post'', Ford cited several reasons for the sale, including his discomfort with the power wielded by social media companies like Facebook over creators and what he perceived as an anti-conservative and anti-Christian bias.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 22, 2018 |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/the-babylon-bee-sold-former-owner-says-internet-centralization-big-threat-to-spread-of-gospel.html |title=The Babylon Bee Sold; Former Owner Says Internet Centralization Big 'Threat' to Spread of Gospel |accessdate=October 2, 2024 |author=Showalter, Brandon |newspaper=The Christian Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 23, 2018 |url=https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/babylon-bees-founder-adam-ford-sold-site/ |title=The Babylon Bee's Founder, Adam Ford, Has Sold the Site |accessdate=October 2, 2024 |newspaper=Relevant Magazine}}</ref>

At the time of the website's sale, Kyle Mann, who had been head writer since September 2016, became editor-in-chief.<ref name="CP Bee Sold">{{Cite web |last=Showalter |first=Brandon |date=May 22, 2018 |title=The Babylon Bee Sold; Former Owner Says Internet Centralization Big 'Threat' to Spread of Gospel |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/the-babylon-bee-sold-former-owner-says-internet-centralization-big-threat-to-spread-of-gospel.html |access-date=April 19, 2024 |website=The Christian Post |language=en-US}}</ref> Ford maintained a financial stake in the site and its sister site ''Not the Bee'' until November 2023. Citing the "inevitable consequences of burnout" that came from keeping up with current events, he handed over full control to brothers Seth and Dan Dillon.<ref name=":10" /> Seth remained the majority owner of ''The Babylon Bee'' while Dan Dillon, who had helped cofound ''Not the Bee'', became its majority owner.<ref name="Ford">{{cite news |last=Gryboski |first=Michael |date=November 1, 2023 |title=Babylon Bee founder sells remaining stakes in popular Christian satire website |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/babylon-bee-founder-sells-remaining-stakes-in-satire-site.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108160612/https://www.christianpost.com/news/babylon-bee-founder-sells-remaining-stakes-in-satire-site.html |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |access-date=November 8, 2023 |website=The Christian Post}}</ref>

At the time of its sale to Dillon, ''The Babylon Bee'' was receiving 3{{Nbsp}}million page views per month.<ref name=":10" /> In October 2020, the website said that it was receiving about 8{{Nbsp}}million visitors a month.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Goldberg|first=Emma|date=October 11, 2020|title=What 'The Babylon Bee' Thinks Is So Funny About Liberals|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/11/us/politics/babylon-bee-conservative-satire.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 28, 2020|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=January 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115065453/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/11/us/politics/babylon-bee-conservative-satire.html}}</ref> which would have been more than ''The Onion''{{'s}} traffic in the same period.<ref name="Roose">{{Cite news |last=Roose |first=Kevin |author-link=Kevin Roose |date=October 16, 2020 |title=How The Babylon Bee, a Right-Wing Satire Site, Capitalizes on Confusion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/technology/babylon-bee.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030103156/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/16/technology/babylon-bee.html |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |access-date=October 30, 2020 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> By January 2021, ''The Washington Times'' said that ''The Babylon Bee'' was receiving more than 20{{Nbsp}}million page views per month, had more than 20,000 paid subscribers, and had a Twitter account with more than 856,000 followers.<ref name=":15">{{cite web|last1=Varney|first1=James|date=January 3, 2021|title=Satirical Babylon Bee: 'Paper of record' for conservatives|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jan/3/babylon-bee-satire-or-real-news/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107231829/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jan/3/babylon-bee-satire-or-real-news/|archive-date=January 7, 2021|access-date=January 7, 2021|website=The Washington Times}}</ref> In January 2022, ''The Economist'' said that ''The Babylon Bee'' was "claiming as many as 25{{Nbsp}}m[illion] readers a month at its peak", and that Dillon had turned ''The Babylon Bee'' "into one of the most popular conservative sites after Fox News".<ref name=":16">{{cite news |date=January 22, 2022 |title=As Christian conservatives take to satire, the left is not amused |url=https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/01/22/as-christian-conservatives-take-to-satire-the-left-is-not-amused |access-date=January 24, 2023 |newspaper=The Economist |issn=0013-0613 |quote=But it does not spare the right. In 2019 it poked fun at Donald Trump for boasting that he had "done more for Christianity than Jesus". The article went viral, leading ''Snopes'', a fact-checking outfit, to label it as satire after some people believed it was a real story. Then, last September, Mr Trump actually said in an interview: "Nobody has done more for Christianity, or for evangelicals, or for religion itself than I have." The Bee now frequently tweets its original satire side by side with a real media headline that fulfilled it. |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207211422/https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/01/22/as-christian-conservatives-take-to-satire-the-left-is-not-amused |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Content== ''The Babylon Bee'' began by lampooning a wide range of topics including progressives, Democrats, Republicans, Christians, and Donald Trump.<ref name="nyt2019aug" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Isaacs|first=Susan E.|date=May 7, 2018|title=Report: So-Called Christians Have Sense of Humor|url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/may-web-only/babylon-bee-how-be-perfect-christian.html|url-status=live|access-date=February 18, 2021|website=Christianity Today|language=en|archive-date=February 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226121958/https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/may-web-only/babylon-bee-how-be-perfect-christian.html}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> The purpose of the site, according to its founder Adam Ford in 2016, was not just to evoke laughter, but to prompt self-reflection. "It's important to look at what we're doing, to 'examine ourselves.' Satire acts like an overhead projector, taking something that people usually ignore and projecting it up on the wall for everyone to see. It forces us to look at things we wouldn't normally look at and makes us ask if we're okay with them."<ref name=":3">{{cite web |last1=Darling |first1=Daniel |date=April 29, 2016 |title=The Babylon Bee's Adam Ford Says the Church Needs Laughter |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/local-church/2016/april/babylon-bees-adam-ford-says-church-needs-laughter.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608140719/http://www.christianitytoday.com/local-church/2016/april/babylon-bees-adam-ford-says-church-needs-laughter.html |archive-date=June 8, 2016 |access-date=June 11, 2016 |website=Christianity Today}}</ref> In an April 2016 ''Washington Post'' profile of the site and its founder, Bob Smietana observed that "The ''Bee'' excels at poking fun at the small idiosyncrasies of believers, especially evangelical Protestants."<ref name=":2" /> Susan E. Isaacs publishing in ''Christianity Today'' wrote in May 2018 that the site "lampoon[ed] the faithful across denominations, political affiliations, and age groups".<ref name=":6" /> Emma Green in ''The Atlantic'' noted of ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s content in October 2021, "Although political humor drives much of ''The Bee''{{'}}s web traffic, the publication's signature hits focus on what the writers see as shallowness in the evangelical world."<ref name="Atlantic">{{cite web|last1=Green|first1=Emma|date=October 14, 2021|title=The Christians Who Mock Wokeness for a Living|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/10/babylon-bee-news-kyle-mann-wokeism/620376/|access-date=October 15, 2021|website=The Atlantic|archive-date=October 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015012923/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/10/babylon-bee-news-kyle-mann-wokeism/620376/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the years leading up to 2020, the site grew less critical of Trump and more critical of the left and liberalism, though it continued to satirize topics across both parties.<ref name=":5"/> Emma Goldberg of ''The New York Times'' said in 2020 that although Trump was still not off limits as a target for ''The Babylon Bee'', "their "early coverage of Trump, back in 2016, was much more vitriolic than today's. They called him a psychopath, or a megalomaniac. Now they're more bemused by him and the ghoulish ways he's described on the left."<ref name="Roose"/> In another 2020 ''New York Times'' article, Emma Goldberg wrote that the unifying goal of the site was "poking fun at the left", and that "their most popular articles are often those making jokes at the expense of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden". She wrote that its success was due to finding ways to punch up by "ridiculing every source of authority outside the White House." In the same article, ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s editor-in-chief Kyle Mann summarized how he believed readers of ''The Babylon Bee'' considered the site: "this comedy makes fun of everybody, but it's a little harder on the left, and when it makes fun of the right it's not hateful."<ref name=":5" /> Parker J. Bach wrote in ''Slate'' in June 2021 that the site frequently makes jokes that target marginalized groups, with articles that are "often 'ironically' misogynistic" and "frequently antagonistic toward the LGBTQIA+ community".<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|last=Bach|first=Parker J.|date=June 22, 2021|title=Can the Right Make Good Satire Without Collapsing Due to Fake News?|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/06/babylon-bee-satire-from-right.html|access-date=June 25, 2021|website=Slate|language=en|archive-date=January 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109190951/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/06/babylon-bee-satire-from-right.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In an October 2021 interview with ''The Atlantic'', Mann described the site's view of satire and its mission as "mock[ing] people who hold cultural power and{{nbsp}}... communicat[ing] truth to a culture that many times does not believe in an objective, universal truth any longer."<ref name="Atlantic"/>

''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s hosted Elon Musk for an interview on the site's podcast in December 2021. The episode featured regular hosts Kyle Mann and Ethan Nicolle, who were joined by Seth Dillon. The podcast covered a wide range of topics, ranging from a response to Senator Elizabeth Warren's criticism of how little Musk paid in taxes<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nagarajan |first1=Shalini |date=December 22, 2021 |title=Elon Musk says he's sold enough Tesla stock to meet his 10% goal, after offloading another $548 million in shares |url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/elon-musk-tesla-stock-sales-sold-enough-options-selling-spree-2021-12 |access-date=March 29, 2022 |website=Business Insider |archive-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427081126/https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/elon-musk-tesla-stock-sales-sold-enough-options-selling-spree-2021-12 |url-status=live }}</ref> to scandals at CNN<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rogers |first=Zachary |date=December 22, 2021 |title=Elon Musk says 'wokeness' is 'divisive, exclusionary, and hateful' |url=https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/elon-musk-says-wokeness-is-divisive-exclusionary-and-hateful |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=WCIV |language=en |agency=The National Desk |archive-date=September 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230903093035/https://abcnews4.com/news/nation-world/elon-musk-says-wokeness-is-divisive-exclusionary-and-hateful |url-status=live }}</ref> to his thoughts on Christianity.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ortega Law |first1=Jeannie |date=December 22, 2021 |title=Elon Musk says he agrees with the teachings of Jesus: 'There is great wisdom' |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/elon-musk-agrees-with-the-teachings-of-jesus.html |access-date=March 29, 2022 |website=The Christian Post |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510094334/https://www.christianpost.com/news/elon-musk-agrees-with-the-teachings-of-jesus.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Jennifer Graham of ''Deseret News'' attributed the success of ''The Babylon Bee'' in 2021 to "the increasing polarization in America, with Republicans and Democrats clustering in information silos that reflect and affirm their beliefs."<ref name=":10" /> Nick Gillespie of ''Reason'' praised ''The Babylon Bee'' in 2022, saying that "The fact that the ''Bee'' is very funny, day in and day out, is almost enough to get me, a lapsed Catholic, to believe in divine intervention, if not a covenant of grace not works."<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |last=Gillespie |first=Nick |author-link=Nick Gillespie |date=August 24, 2022 |title=The Babylon Bee's Kyle Mann: 'I'm no more deserving of God's grace than a transgender person is' |url=https://reason.com/podcast/2022/08/24/the-babylon-bees-kyle-mann-im-no-more-deserving-of-gods-grace-than-a-transgender-person-is/ |access-date=August 31, 2022 |website=Reason |language=en-US |archive-date=August 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220831071453/https://reason.com/podcast/2022/08/24/the-babylon-bees-kyle-mann-im-no-more-deserving-of-gods-grace-than-a-transgender-person-is/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The New Yorker'' and ''The New York'' Times have described The Babylon Bee as a Christian or conservative version of ''The Onion''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Sanneh |first=Kelefa |date=October 31, 2016 |title=The New Evangelical Moral Minority |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/07/the-new-evangelical-moral-minority |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807144845/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/11/07/the-new-evangelical-moral-minority |archive-date=August 7, 2019 |access-date=August 15, 2019 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en |issn=0028-792X}}</ref><ref name="Roose" />

== Mistaken for factual reporting == As the readership of ''The Babylon Bee'' increased from 2016 to 2020, there were independent, ongoing discussions within journalistic circles on how to handle the rise of fake news and its influence on the public.<ref name="Vox">{{cite web|last=Rupar|first=Aaron|date=October 16, 2020|title=Trump's fake news crisis, illustrated by two episodes over the last 24 hours|url=https://www.vox.com/2020/10/16/21519502/trump-savannah-guthrie-crazy-uncle-babylon-bee|access-date=June 17, 2021|website=Vox|language=en-US|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320091634/https://www.vox.com/2020/10/16/21519502/trump-savannah-guthrie-crazy-uncle-babylon-bee|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Market Watch">{{cite web|last=Pesce|first=Nicole Lyn|date=October 16, 2020|title=Trump shares satirical Babylon Bee story after Savannah Guthrie accuses him of retweeting conspiracies like 'someone's crazy uncle'|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-shares-satirical-babylon-bee-story-after-savannah-guthrie-accuses-him-of-retweeting-conspiracies-like-someones-crazy-uncle-2020-10-16|access-date=June 17, 2021|website=Market Watch|language=en-US|archive-date=July 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715040826/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-shares-satirical-babylon-bee-story-after-savannah-guthrie-accuses-him-of-retweeting-conspiracies-like-someones-crazy-uncle-2020-10-16|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NR Trend">{{cite web|last=Harsanyi|first=David|date=January 6, 2020|title=Attacks on the Babylon Bee Are Attacks on Free Expression|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/01/attacks-on-the-babylon-bee-are-attacks-on-free-expression/|access-date=June 17, 2021|website=National Review|language=en-US|archive-date=June 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625081244/https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/01/attacks-on-the-babylon-bee-are-attacks-on-free-expression/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Babylon Bee'' was brought into this wider conversation when several of their articles were shared on social media or reported upon, ostensibly as factual.<ref name="Vox"/><ref name=":8" />

In 2019, ''The Babylon Bee'' satirically criticized Donald Trump with an article saying that Trump claimed he had "done more for Christianity than Jesus". The article went viral, prompting a fact check from ''Snopes'' after some thought the article was a real story.<ref name=":16" />

''The Conversation'' published research by academics at the Ohio State University in August 2019 that found that people regularly mistook satirical reports from ''The Babylon Bee'', ''The Colbert Report'', ''The Onion'', and others for genuine news. They found that "stories published by the ''Bee'' were among the most shared factually inaccurate content in almost every survey we conducted." They also found that both Republicans and Democrats mistook articles from ''The Babylon Bee'' as news, but Republicans were considerably more likely to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Garrett|first1=R. Kelly|last2=Bond|first2=Robert|last3=Poulsen|first3=Shannon|date=August 16, 2019|title=Too many people think satirical news is real|url=http://theconversation.com/too-many-people-think-satirical-news-is-real-121666|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210217044533/https://theconversation.com/too-many-people-think-satirical-news-is-real-121666|archive-date=February 17, 2021|access-date=February 17, 2021|website=The Conversation|language=en}}</ref> ''The Babylon Bee''<nowiki/>'s editor-in-chief, Kyle Mann, criticized the research in a conversation with ''Reason TV'', describing it as "methodologically flawed" and saying ''The Conversation'' reworded the headlines and took them out of context when asking survey respondents if they thought they were real.<ref name=":13">{{Cite AV media |url=https://reason.com/video/2019/09/26/the-babylon-bee-satirizes-the-absurdities-of-american-politics/ |title=The Babylon Bee Satirizes the Absurdities of American Politics. Snopes Doesn't Seem to Get the Joke. |date=September 26, 2019 |last=Osterhoudt |first=John |type=Television production |publisher=Reason TV |minutes=3:08 |quote=''Snopes'', which didn't respond to ''Reason's'' interview request, has said that a significant percentage of social media users mistake satire for real news. But Mann says that when making this claim, ''Snopes'' cited a methodologically flawed study in which participants were shown ''Babylon Bee'' headlines reworded and taken out of context. |access-date=February 19, 2021 |archive-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202140901/https://reason.com/video/2019/09/26/the-babylon-bee-satirizes-the-absurdities-of-american-politics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Reason''<nowiki/>'s John Osterhoudt said that the headlines had been "stripped of both context and comedy", giving as an example ''The Babylon Bee'' headline "CNN: 'God Allowed the Mueller Report to Test Our Shakeable Faith in Collusion'" that was rephrased to participants as "CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper said his belief that Trump colluded with Russia is unshakable; it will not change regardless of statements or evidence to the contrary."<ref name=":13" />

Media outlets' responses to incidents in which ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s content was mistaken for factual reporting have varied. Some have described ''The Babylon Bee'' and its content as obviously satirical,<ref>{{Cite web|first=|date=April 27, 2021|title=Fact Check – Satirical article by the Babylon Bee about Nancy Pelosi taken seriously|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-pelosi-satire-sacrifice/fact-check-satirical-article-by-the-babylon-bee-about-nancy-pelosi-taken-seriously-idUSL1N2MK1U2|access-date=June 12, 2021|website=Reuters|language=en-US|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624211857/https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-pelosi-satire-sacrifice/fact-check-satirical-article-by-the-babylon-bee-about-nancy-pelosi-taken-seriously-idUSL1N2MK1U2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5"/> whereas others have suggested the site misleads its readers, either intentionally or inadvertently.<ref name="Roose"/> The frequency with which ''Babylon Bee'' stories are confused with real news has resulted in numerous reactions from fact-checkers.<ref name=":11"/><ref name=":12"/>

In September 2020, British newspaper ''The Guardian'' reprinted as factual a ''Bee''-doctored image of LeBron James wearing a lace collar supposedly in tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg.<ref name="Guardian Correction">{{cite web|last=|first=|date=September 29, 2020|title=Corrections and Clarifications|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/sep/29/corrections-and-clarifications|access-date=June 17, 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en-US}}</ref>

In October 2020, a satirical news story by ''The Babylon Bee'' claiming that Twitter had been shut down to protect Joe Biden from negative coverage was retweeted by then-U.S. President Donald Trump, who, according to some journalists, seemed to not realize the article was parody and condemned the fabricated incident described in the story as a case of leftist censorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jackson|first=David|date=October 16, 2020|title=Trump retweets satirical news story about Joe Biden and Twitter|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/16/donald-trump-retweets-babylon-bee-attack-joe-biden-twitter/3675923001/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106173633/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/16/donald-trump-retweets-babylon-bee-attack-joe-biden-twitter/3675923001/|archive-date=January 6, 2021|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=USA Today|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web|last=Spocchia|first=Gino|date=October 16, 2021|title=Trump shares joke news article claiming Twitter is blocking negative Biden stories|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election-2020/trump-biden-twitter-babylon-bee-satire-parody-us-election-b1071787.html|access-date=June 22, 2021|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref> This event prompted Kevin Roose, writing in ''The New York Times'', to question whether ''The Babylon Bee'' "traffic[s] in misinformation under the guise of comedy", concluding that "''The Babylon Bee'' is not a covert disinformation operation disguised as a right-wing satire site, and is in fact trying to do comedy, but may inadvertently be spreading bad information when people take their stories too seriously".<ref name="Roose"/>

Parker J. Bach wrote in ''Slate'' in 2021 that ''The Babylon Bee'' "is adept at writing ironically ambiguous material that lets audiences from different sections of the right reinforce their own beliefs{{nbsp}}... even if ''The Babylon Bee''<nowiki/>'s satire itself should not be considered misinformation, its satire draws on and reinforces actual misinformation and conspiracy". Bach also described the website's material as "riffs on riffs, building referential jokes atop the already referential right-wing commentary about the untrustworthiness of the news".<ref name=":12" /> James Varney wrote in ''The Washington Times'' that "Surprisingly often, a short piece from the ''Bee'' seems to become real news. A jesting report in the ''Bee'' will be fact-checked and censored, usually briefly, by social media platforms" and that "as a consequence, the satirical website has been fondly christened by its conservative blogging brethren as 'the paper of record.{{' "}}<ref name=":15"/>{{better source needed|reason=Excessive use of WP:MREL sources; a secondary source is needed to show significance.|date=February 2024}}

=== Social media and other platforms === On several occasions, social media and other platforms have removed content by ''The Babylon Bee'' or flagged or suspended its accounts, though some of these actions were later described by the platforms as errors and reversed. Dillon has accused news media, fact-checking outlets, and social media websites of targeting ''The Babylon Bee'' in a movement to deplatform conservative or Christian viewpoints, which he has also described as cancel culture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gryboski |first=Michael |date=October 16, 2020 |title=Wayne Grudem, Babylon Bee CEO join 15,000 to sign statement supporting civil debate, rejecting 'cancel culture' |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/wayne-grudem-babylon-bee-ceo-sign-philadelphia-statement.html |access-date=June 12, 2021 |website=The Christian Post |language=en-US |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203800/https://www.christianpost.com/news/wayne-grudem-babylon-bee-ceo-sign-philadelphia-statement.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McCormack |first=John |date=April 3, 2021 |title=Why the Babylon Bee Won't Be Canceled |url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/04/why-the-babylon-bee-wont-be-canceled/ |access-date=June 12, 2021 |website=National Review |language=en-US |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414121336/https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/04/why-the-babylon-bee-wont-be-canceled/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Liedl |first=Jonathan |date=October 28, 2020 |title=Big Tech's Big Bias: Religious Conservatives Face 'Scary Pattern' of Censorship |url=https://www.ncregister.com/news/big-tech-s-big-bias-religious-conservatives-face-scary-pattern-of-censorship |access-date=June 12, 2021 |website=National Catholic Register |language=en-US |archive-date=June 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618024507/https://www.ncregister.com/news/big-tech-s-big-bias-religious-conservatives-face-scary-pattern-of-censorship |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2018, after ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s article about CNN "spinning" the news in a large washing machine was classified by fact-checking website ''Snopes'' as "false", Facebook sent a notification threatening to limit ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s content distribution and monetization.<ref name=":12"/><ref name=":11"/><ref name="buzzfeed"/> Following some controversy, Facebook identified the notification as a mistake and apologized.<ref name=":11"/>

''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s Twitter account was briefly suspended in August 2020 after being mistakenly caught in one of the social media company's spam filters.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Klar|first=Rebecca|date=August 19, 2020|title=Christian satire website voices 'concern' over Twitter policy after it was labeled as 'spam'|url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/512820-twitter-apologizes-after-mistakenly-suspending-christian-satire-website-as|access-date=June 12, 2021|website=The Hill|language=en-US|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204129/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/512820-twitter-apologizes-after-mistakenly-suspending-christian-satire-website-as|url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2020, ''The Babylon Bee'' put up a Facebook post linking to a story about the Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court nomination, with the headline "Senator Hirono Demands ACB Be Weighed Against a Duck to See If She Is a Witch" (a reference to the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''). Citing its policies against incitement to violence, Facebook removed the post and demonetized ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s page on the social media platform.<ref name=":18" /> Dillon responded, "In what universe does a fictional quote as part of an obvious joke constitute a genuine incitement to violence? How does context not come into play here? They're asking us to edit the article and not speak publicly about internal content reviews."<ref name=":18">{{Cite web |last=Foley |first=Ryan |date=October 21, 2020 |title=Facebook demonetizes Babylon Bee over Mazie Hirono satire piece |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/facebook-demonetizes-babylon-bee-over-mazie-hirono-satire.html |access-date=February 25, 2022 |website=The Christian Post |language=en-US |archive-date=February 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220225170739/https://www.christianpost.com/news/facebook-demonetizes-babylon-bee-over-mazie-hirono-satire.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Also in October 2020, during a Senate hearing on Section 230, Senator Mike Lee referred to ''The Babylon Bee'' as a target of social media moderation, which he said was imbalanced and predominantly directed at right-leaning content, groups, and individuals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davidson |first=Lee |date=October 29, 2020 |title=Sen. Mike Lee asks social media giants for even one example of blocking liberal content. They struggle. |url=https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/10/29/sen-mike-lee-asks-social/ |access-date=June 28, 2021 |website=The Salt Lake Tribune |language=en-US |archive-date=June 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628025154/https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2020/10/29/sen-mike-lee-asks-social/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''The Babylon Bee'' put up a Facebook post in February 2022 with the headline "Trans Woman Breaks Jeopardy Record, Proving Once and for All That Men Are Smarter Than Women", referencing former ''Jeopardy!'' champion Amy Schneider. Facebook removed the post, citing its policies against hate speech. Dillon published a statement that they would be appealing the removal.<ref name=":17">{{Cite web |last=Gryboski |first=Michael |date=February 22, 2022 |title=Facebook censors Babylon Bee post on trans-identified 'Jeopardy!' champion as 'hate speech' |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/facebook-babylon-bee-jeopardy-champion.html |access-date=February 25, 2022 |website=The Christian Post |language=en-US |archive-date=February 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224031040/https://www.christianpost.com/news/facebook-babylon-bee-jeopardy-champion.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Controversies == {{overly detailed|section|date=November 2024}}

===''Snopes''=== In March 2018, ''The Babylon Bee'' published an article quipping that CNN was using an industrial-sized washing machine to "spin" the news. Two days later, fact-checking website ''Snopes'' issued a fact check for the article, rating it "false". Facebook then cited this fact check in a warning message to ''The Babylon Bee'', threatening to limit its content distribution and monetization.<ref name=":12"/><ref name=":11"/><ref name="buzzfeed"/> Ford tweeted a screenshot of the warning message, drawing public attention to the matter. Facebook subsequently stated, "There's a difference between false news and satire. This was a mistake and should not have been rated false in our system. It's since been corrected and won't count against the domain in any way."<ref name=":11">{{cite web|url=https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2018/should-satire-be-flagged-on-facebook-a-snopes-debunk-sparks-controversy/|website=Poynter Institute|author=Daniel Funke|date=March 2, 2018|title=Should satire be flagged on Facebook? A Snopes debunk sparks controversy|access-date=May 1, 2021|archive-date=May 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501013822/https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2018/should-satire-be-flagged-on-facebook-a-snopes-debunk-sparks-controversy/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2019, ''The Babylon Bee'' published an article referring to a real-world incident, titled "Georgia Lawmaker Claims Chick-Fil-A Employee Told Her to Go Back to Her Country, Later Clarifies He Actually Said 'My Pleasure{{' "}}, which ''Snopes'' rated "false". They also suggested that the article was deliberately deceptive, rather than genuinely satirical.<ref name="nyt2019aug">{{Cite news|last=Chokshi|first=Niraj|date=August 3, 2019|title=Satire or Deceit? Christian Humor Site Feuds With Snopes|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/03/us/snopes-babylon-bee.html|url-status=live|access-date=August 16, 2019|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813030030/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/03/us/snopes-babylon-bee.html}}</ref> Ford responded on Twitter, highlighting what he deemed to be problematic wording in the fact-check.<ref name="nyt2019aug"/><ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1154465670660329472 |user=Adam4d |title=So @snopes fact-checked @TheBabylonBee again. But this time it's particularly egregious and, well, kind of disturbing. And I'd like to talk about it. |first=Adam |last=Ford |date=July 25, 2019 |access-date=January 30, 2024}}</ref> ''The Babylon Bee'' also released a statement, calling the fact-check a "smear" that was "both dishonest and disconcerting".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019|title=Important Announcement|url=https://mailchi.mp/babylonbee/reparations-for-everyone-83635|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804170518/https://mailchi.mp/babylonbee/reparations-for-everyone-83635|archive-date=August 4, 2019|access-date=August 16, 2019|website=The Babylon Bee}}</ref> The statement concluded by saying a law firm had been retained to represent ''The Babylon Bee'' because "''Snopes'' appears to be actively engaged in an effort to discredit and deplatform us." ''Snopes'' later made revisions to the wording of the fact check and added an explanatory editor's note.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2023 |url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/georgia-lawmaker-go-back-claim/ |title=Did a Georgia Lawmaker Claim a Chick-fil-A Employee Told Her to Go Back to Her Country? |date=July 30, 2019 |last=Evon |first=Dan |language=en-US |website=Snopes |quote=Editors' Note: Some readers interpreted wording in a previous version of this fact check as imputing deceptive intent on the part of Babylon Bee in its original satirical piece about Georgia state Rep. Erica Thomas, and that was not the editors' aim. To address any confusion, we have revised some of the wording mostly for tone and clarity. We are in the process of pioneering industry standards for how the fact-checking industry should best address humor and satire. |archive-date=June 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615031154/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/georgia-lawmaker-go-back-claim/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nyt2019aug"/> ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s chief executive, Seth Dillon, appeared on ''Fox News'' in August 2019 to discuss the incident. He said ''The Babylon Bee'' must take the matter seriously "because social networks, which we depend on for our traffic, have relied upon fact-checking sources in the past to determine what's fake news and what isn't. In cases where [''Snopes''] is calling us fake news and lumping us in with them rather than saying this is satire, that could actually damage us. It could put our business in jeopardy."<ref name="nyt2019aug" /> ''Snopes''{{'}} co-founder David Mikkelson acknowledged to ''The New York Times'' that their fact-check was poorly written, but denied trying to discredit ''The Babylon Bee.''<ref name="nyt2019aug" /> In an interview with ''BuzzFeed News'', Mikkelson stated, "The question you should be asking is not: 'why is ''Snopes'' addressing material from a particular site so often?' But, 'what is it about that site that makes its content trigger the fact-check threshold?'"<ref name="buzzfeed">{{Cite web|last=Broderick|first=Ryan|date=July 31, 2019|title=A Christian Satire Site Says Fact-Checkers Are Helping De-Platform Conservatives|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/a-christian-satire-site-is-pushing-a-conspiracy-that-fact|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813030036/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanhatesthis/a-christian-satire-site-is-pushing-a-conspiracy-that-fact|archive-date=August 13, 2019|access-date=August 16, 2019|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en}}</ref>

In August 2019, ''Snopes'' announced a new rating for satire sites called "labeled satire".<ref>{{cite web |access-date=August 17, 2019 |url=https://www.snopes.com/make-fact-checking-better/ |title=Let's Make Fact-Checking Even Better |date=August 16, 2019 |language=en-US |website=Snopes |archive-date=June 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615031155/https://www.snopes.com/2019/08/16/make-fact-checking-better/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":4" /> Articles from ''The Babylon Bee'' that were previously rated "false" were updated with the new rating.<ref name="snopesarchive">{{Cite web|title=the babylon bee Archives|url=https://www.snopes.com/tag/the-babylon-bee/|access-date=August 16, 2019|website=Snopes|language=en-US|archive-date=June 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615031155/https://www.snopes.com/tag/the-babylon-bee/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Snopes'' explains the label: "This rating indicates that a claim is derived from content described by its creator and/or the wider audience as satire. Not all content described by its creator or audience as 'satire' necessarily constitutes satire, and this rating does not make a distinction between 'real' satire and content that may not be effectively recognized or understood as satire despite being labeled as such." Mann objected to this label in an op-ed published in ''The Wall Street Journal'', writing that the label "is meant to suggest that we are somehow making jokes in bad faith".<ref name=":4">{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2023 |archive-date=February 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216180753/https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-fact-checker-declares-war-on-satire-11566428259 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-fact-checker-declares-war-on-satire-11566428259 |title=A 'Fact Checker' Declares War On Satire |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=August 21, 2021 |last=Mann |first=Kyle |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660 |quote=In response our CEO, Seth Dillon, instructed our lawyers to demand an edit of the article and appealed to the public on social media. The scolds at ''Snopes'' seemed to comply and removed the worst bits from their piece. But they then rolled out a new rating, "Labeled Satire," which is meant to suggest that we are somehow making jokes in bad faith. Here's the explanation of the new rating: "Not all content described by its creator or audience as 'satire' necessarily constitutes satire, and this rating does not make a distinction between 'real' satire and content that may not be effectively recognized or understood as satire despite being labeled as such."}}</ref>

=== Twitter ban and reinstatement === On March 20, 2022,<ref name=":19">{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Valerie |date=April 4, 2022 |title=Babylon Bee CEO: Twitter's Bee lockout may have been 'last straw' for Elon Musk |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/apr/4/babylon-bee-ceo-twitters-bee-lockout-may-have-been/ |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US |archive-date=April 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404185748/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/apr/4/babylon-bee-ceo-twitters-bee-lockout-may-have-been/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s Twitter account was suspended for tweeting "''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s Man of the Year Is Rachel Levine", referencing then U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, a transgender woman. Twitter said that the post violated its policy on "hateful conduct". Dillon refused to delete the tweet in order to regain access to the account, stating, "They could, of course, delete the tweet themselves. But they won't. It's not enough for them to just wipe it out. They want us to bend the knee and admit that we engaged in hateful conduct."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klar |first=Rebecca |date=March 21, 2022 |title=Twitter suspends Babylon Bee for misgendering Rachel Levine |url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/599051-twitter-suspends-babylon-bee-for-misgendering-rachel-levine |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=The Hill |language=en |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321181411/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/599051-twitter-suspends-babylon-bee-for-misgendering-rachel-levine |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaonga |first=Gerrard |date=March 21, 2022 |title=Why was The Babylon Bee suspended by Twitter? CEO Seth Dillon reacts to ban |url=https://www.newsweek.com/babylon-bee-seth-dillon-twitter-ban-censorship-rachel-levine-trans-debate-1689870 |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=Newsweek |language=en |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321091402/https://www.newsweek.com/babylon-bee-seth-dillon-twitter-ban-censorship-rachel-levine-trans-debate-1689870 |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 23, Twitter rejected an appeal by ''The Babylon Bee''. Dillon told ''Fox News'' that ''The Babylon Bee'' was "disappointed" by the rejection, adding, "It doesn't change our position. They can delete our joke if they want. They have that power. But we're not bending the knee and doing it for them." Mann was also locked out of his personal account after tweeting, "Maybe they'll let us back into our Twitter account if we throw a few thousand Uighurs in a concentration camp", referring to Twitter's treatment of accounts associated with the Chinese government.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Panreck |first=Hanna |date=March 24, 2022 |title=The Babylon Bee reacts to losing Twitter appeal: 'Doesn't change our position' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/babylon-bee-reacts-losing-twitter-appeal-doesnt-change-position |access-date=March 27, 2022 |website=Fox News |language=en-US |archive-date=March 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326235815/https://www.foxnews.com/media/babylon-bee-reacts-losing-twitter-appeal-doesnt-change-position |url-status=live }}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=Fox news used for clearly political statements in violation of its WP:RSP entry.|date=February 2024}} Mann has denied allegations of transphobia, saying "We love trans people", and "We don't consider people like that beneath us. You know, the Christian worldview is that everybody has the opportunity to be saved and we can love everybody. I'm no more deserving of God's grace than a transgender person is. But when the culture bows down and starts handing out trophies to people for stuff like this is when we say, 'Hey, wait a minute, you know, we need to protect women in our society as well.{{'"}}<ref name=":21" />

In a statement to ''The Washington Times'' on April 4, 2022, the day that Elon Musk purchased a 9.2% stake in Twitter, Dillon revealed that Elon Musk had contacted ''The Babylon Bee'' shortly after its Twitter account was suspended. "He wanted to confirm that we had, in fact, been suspended from Twitter. He reached out to us before he publicly asked his Twitter followers if they think Twitter 'rigorously adheres' to the principle of free expression. He even mused on that call with us that he might need to buy Twitter." Dillon added, "I wouldn't suggest that ''The Babylon Bee'' is the sole reason Musk decided to take action", but "I do think the absurdity of his favorite satire site getting suspended factored into his decision. Perhaps it was the last straw."<ref name=":19" /> Musk has repeatedly spoken positively of the ''Babylon Bee'' on Twitter.<ref name="Wapo">{{cite news|last=|first=|date=November 22, 2022|title=Musk's 'free speech' agenda dismantles safety work at Twitter, insiders say|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/22/elon-musk-twitter-content-moderations/|access-date=January 19, 2023|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en-US|archive-date=November 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122180848/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/11/22/elon-musk-twitter-content-moderations/|url-status=live}}</ref> It was later revealed that Musk's ex-wife, Talulah Riley, had encouraged Musk to purchase Twitter, specifically citing ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s ban.<ref name="Riley Bloomberg">{{cite web|last=McHale|first=Patrick|date=April 5, 2022|title=Elon Musk Opined About Buying Twitter After Babylon Bee Ban|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-05/elon-musk-opined-about-buying-twitter-after-babylon-bee-ban?embedded-checkout=true|access-date=April 2, 2024|website=Bloomberg News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Riley BI">{{cite web|last=Kay|first=Grace|date=October 6, 2022|title=Elon Musk's ex-wife is reportedly the mysterious phone contact 'TJ' who texted him about fighting 'woke-ism' at Twitter, and called the banning of a conservative satire site 'crazy'|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-ex-wife-texts-fighting-twitter-woke-ism-report-2022-10|access-date=April 2, 2024|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Riley Gizmodo">{{cite web|last=Novak|first=Matt|date=October 4, 2022|title=Mystery Person in Elon Musk Texts Who Encouraged Billionaire to Destroy Twitter Is Ex-Wife: Report|url=https://gizmodo.com/elon-musk-twitter-talulah-riley-exwife-babylon-bee-hbo-1849612817|access-date=April 2, 2024|website=Gizmodo|language=en-US}}</ref>

On April 14, Musk made a formal offer to buy Twitter, which was accepted on April 25.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Elon Musk Clinches Deal to Buy Twitter for $44 Billion |url=https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/elon-musk-buys-twitter-44-billion-1235239890/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425193640/https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/elon-musk-buys-twitter-44-billion-1235239890/ |archive-date=April 25, 2022 |access-date=April 25, 2022 |magazine=Variety}}</ref> He officially acquired Twitter on October 27, and within hours directed the Trust and Safety team to urgently reinstate ''The Babylon Bee''{{'}}s account. Musk saw ''The Babylon Bee''{{'s}} suspension as emblematic of what he viewed as partisan, predominantly liberal, moderation overreach that had prompted him to acquire Twitter.<ref name="Wapo" /> In a conference with lawyer Alex Spiro and then-Trust and Safety head Yoel Roth,<ref name="New Yorker">{{cite magazine|last=Wallace-Wells|first=Benjamin|date=January 11, 2023|title=What the Twitter Files Reveal About Free Speech and Social Media|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/what-the-twitter-files-reveal-about-free-speech-and-social-media|access-date=January 19, 2023|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-US|archive-date=January 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119170005/https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-political-scene/what-the-twitter-files-reveal-about-free-speech-and-social-media|url-status=live}}</ref> Musk described ''The Babylon Bee's'' tweet about Levine as "not cool", but said it did not rise to the level of violent threats that should trigger moderation action. Roth objected to reinstating the account without a clear reason, and Musk agreed to wait to restore the account until a new content policy could be published.<ref name="Wapo" /> Roth ultimately quit Twitter on November 10. On November 18, Musk reinstated the account.<ref name="Insider">{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2023 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-wanted-reinstate-babylon-bee-day-one-at-twitter-2022-11 |title=Elon Musk wanted to reinstate a right-wing satire account on day one as Twitter chief |date=November 22, 2022 |author=Haroun, Azmi |language=en-US |quote=Elon Musk had his sights set on bringing back the Twitter account for right-wing, Christian satire website The Babylon Bee on day one as Twitter's CEO in October. The account had been banned for anti-trans tweets aimed at a member of the Biden administration. The site's account was reinstated on Sunday, three weeks after his takeover of Twitter. |website=Business Insider |archive-date=January 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119164817/https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-wanted-reinstate-babylon-bee-day-one-at-twitter-2022-11 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Wapo" />

On March 28, 2023, Dillon testified as an expert witness before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology as part of a discussion on regulation.<ref name="Forbes Breaking News">{{cite web |date=March 28, 2023 |title=JUST IN: Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon Testifies About Being Censored For Rachel Levine Joke |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4WJbOKQOfM |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=Forbes |language=en-US |via=YouTube |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409094138/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4WJbOKQOfM |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Vivek Ramaswamy article === On January 16, 2024, the same day that Vivek Ramaswamy ended his campaign for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, ''The Babylon Bee'' published an article titled "Trump Promises Vivek An Administration Position Running The White House 7-Eleven". The article featured an edited picture of Ramaswamy in a 7-Eleven in the White House, wearing a 7-Eleven uniform.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dobkin |first=Rachel |date=January 17, 2024 |url=https://www.newsweek.com/conservative-parody-websites-racist-vivek-ramaswamy-joke-sparks-backlash-1861539 |title=Conservative Parody Website's 'Racist' Vivek Ramaswamy Joke Sparks Backlash |website=Newsweek |access-date=May 31, 2025}}</ref> On Twitter, the article received criticism from both liberals and conservatives<ref name="lykins" /> as racist<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zilber |first=Ariel |date=January 17, 2024 |url=https://nypost.com/2024/01/17/news/babylon-bee-slammed-for-vivek-ramaswamy-white-house-7-eleven-post/ |title=Babylon Bee under fire for Vivek Ramaswamy 'White House 7-Eleven' parody story |website=New York Post |access-date=May 31, 2025}}</ref> for perpetuating the stereotype of Indian Americans as 7-Eleven workers.<ref name="HT">{{Cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/vivek-ramaswamy-reacts-to-racist-babylon-bee-parody-piece-on-trump-s-white-house-7-eleven-offer-101705479069959.html |title=Vivek Ramaswamy reacts to 'racist' Babylon Bee parody piece on Trump's White House 7-Eleven offer |date=January 17, 2024 |website=Hindustan Times |access-date=May 31, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Chamberlain |first=Dale |date=January 17, 2024 |url=https://churchleaders.com/news/466456-the-babylon-bee-accused-of-racism.html |title=The Babylon Bee Again Accused of Racism Following Joke About Vivek Ramaswamy |website=Church Leaders |access-date=May 31, 2025}}</ref> Right wing commentator Matt Walsh made a Twitter post stating users who were offended by the article were "pathetic", and asserted that Ramaswamy would not be offended. Dillon also dismissed the controversy, calling critics "stupid".<ref name="lykins">{{Cite web |last=Lykins |first=Liz |url=https://julieroys.com/babylon-bee-article-vivek-ramaswamy-called-incredibly-racist/ |title=Article from Babylon Bee on Vivek Ramaswamy Called 'Incredibly Racist' |website=The Roys Report |date=January 17, 2024 |access-date=May 31, 2025}}</ref> Ramaswamy shared Walsh's Twitter post, and jokingly called himself a "survivor," indicating that he wasn't offended.<ref name="HT" />

=== Other controversies === In November 2024, the Southern Poverty Law Center published an article about ''The Babylon Bee'' and ''Not the Bee'' in reaction to their views on LGBTQ issues, stating that "their hard-right views{{nbsp}}... have no place in our society."<ref name="Montgomery">{{cite web |access-date=November 21, 2024 |url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/2024/11/19/elon-musk-calls-splc-a-criminal-organization-after-doxing-claim/76428624007/ |title=Elon Musk calls Southern Poverty Law Center a 'criminal organization' after doxing claim |date=November 19, 2024 |author=Hagan, Victor |language=en-US |website=Montgomery Advertiser }}</ref> The article obtained personal information including occupations, full names, and social media profiles of multiple writers and staff from several sources including information from the Elance data breach.<ref name="SPLC">{{cite web |access-date=November 21, 2024 |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2024/11/19/inside-beehive |title=Inside the Beehive |date=November 19, 2024 |author=Newton, Creede and Squire, Megan |language=en-US |website=Southern Poverty Law Center }}</ref> Seth Dillon stated the "dox and smear campaign against us wasn't actually journalism, but an attempt to censor speech they don't like",<ref name="Dillon X">{{cite web |access-date=March 24, 2025 |url=https://x.com/SethDillon/status/1859226328026771850 |title=Seth Dillon SPLC Post |date=November 20, 2024 |author=Dillon, Seth |language=en-US |website=X }}</ref> and Elon Musk called the SPLC a "criminal organization".<ref name="Montgomery" />

In November 2025, after Megyn Kelly showed support for Tucker Carlson following his interview with Nick Fuentes, the website released a satirical article titled "Megyn Kelly Gets Rid Of Old Pager Just To Be Safe"; a reference to the 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks. Kelly responded writing "WTF", with some interpreting the article as an incitement of violence against Kelly. ''The Babylon Bee'' soon deleted the post. Podcaster Tim Pool argued "The Joke implies Israel assassinates Americans for criticizing them", while journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote that the Bee should "re-name itself The Tel Aviv Bee".<ref>{{cite news|last=Mastrangelo|first=Dominick|title=Babylon Bee deletes pager post about Megyn Kelly following criticism|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5606187-babylon-bee-megyn-kelly-tweet/|work=The Hill|date=14 November 2025}}</ref>

==Litigation== ''The Babylon Bee'' and sister site ''Not the Bee'' have been involved in supporting litigation related to free speech-related cases, both through direct lawsuits and the filing of ''amicus'' briefs at state and national levels.

===As plaintiffs=== In April 2023, ''The Babylon Bee,'' Tim Pool, and the Minds social network filed a lawsuit against the California Attorney General seeking an injunction against California AB 587, which was signed into law in September 2022. The bill requires social media companies to submit reports to the California Attorney General concerning their enforcement of policies against hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism.<ref name="Wash Times CA AG">{{cite web |last=Howell |first=Tom |date=April 14, 2023 |title=Babylon Bee, others file suit over new social media law in California |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/apr/14/babylon-bee-others-file-suit-over-new-social-media/ |access-date=April 20, 2023 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US |archive-date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420042428/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/apr/14/babylon-bee-others-file-suit-over-new-social-media/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Deese |first=Kaelan |date=April 13, 2023 |title=Babylon Bee complaint alleges California law gives power to censor its content |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/1639616/babylon-bee-complaint-alleges-california-law-gives-power-to-censor-its-content/ |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=The Washington Examiner |language=en-US |archive-date=January 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130191504/https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/1639616/babylon-bee-complaint-alleges-california-law-gives-power-to-censor-its-content/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The case was dismissed in August 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Day |first=Rebecca |date=August 22, 2023 |title=Calif. Judge Grants Bonta's Motion to Dismiss First Amendment Hate Speech Case |url=https://communicationslitigationtoday.com/article/2023/08/22/calif-judge-grants-bontas-motion-to-dismiss-first-amendment-hate-speech-case-2308210037 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Communications Litigation Today |archive-date=January 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130191409/https://communicationslitigationtoday.com/article/2023/08/22/calif-judge-grants-bontas-motion-to-dismiss-first-amendment-hate-speech-case-2308210037 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the passage of AB-2355, AB-2655 and AB-2839, ''The Babylon Bee'' filed a complaint against the State of California seeking to block enforcement of the latter two bills. Filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom, the complaint alleges that the laws are overly broad and "grant California unbridled enforcement discretion."<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 30, 2024 |title=Babylon Bee files suit against humorless California censorship laws |url=https://adflegal.org/press-release/babylon-bee-files-suit-against-humorless-california-censorship-laws |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=Alliance Defending Freedom |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Barkoukis |first=Leah |date=October 1, 2024 |title=The Babylon Bee Sues California Over New 'Deepfake' Laws |url= https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2024/10/01/babylon-bee-sues-california-n2645521 |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=Townhall |language=en-US }}</ref> Governor Newsom has stated the bills "help to combat the harmful use of deepfakes in political ads and other content."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Foust |first=Michael |date=October 1, 2024 |title=Babylon Bee Sues California over New Laws Regulating Political Satire |url= https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/michael-foust/babylon-bee-sues-california-over-new-laws-regulating-political-satire.html |access-date=October 1, 2024 |website=Crosswalk |language=en-US }}</ref> Shortly after filing, a federal judge granted an injunction against California's enforcement of these rules stating that they "unconstitutionally stifle the free and unfettered exchange of ideas."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Katzenberger |first=Tyler |date=October 2, 2024 |title=Judge blocks California deepfakes law that sparked Musk-Newsom row |url= https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/02/california-law-block-political-deepfakes-00182277 |access-date=October 23, 2024 |website=Politico |language=en-US }}</ref> In September of 2025, a federal court ruled the California laws to be unconstitutional. In his opinion, Judge Mendez stated: "[T]he challenges launched by digital content on a global scale cannot be quashed through censorship or legislative fiat,”<ref>{{Cite news |last=Richardson |first=Valerie |date=August 30, 2025 |title=The joke's on Newsom: Court sides with Babylon Bee in striking down anti-deepfake law |url= https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/aug/30/jokes-newsom-court-sides-babylon-bee-striking-anti-deepfake-law/ |access-date=September 19, 2025 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 29, 2025 |title=Free to meme: Court finds California's political censorship laws unconstitutional |url= https://adfmedia.org/press-release/free-to-meme-court-finds-californias-political-censorship-laws-unconstitutional/ |access-date=September 19, 2025 |website=Alliance Defending Freedom |language=en-US }}</ref>

A similar bill was passed in Hawaii (SB2687) aimed at political figures.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seiden |first=Daniel |date=June 5, 2025 |title=Satirical Babylon Bee Sues Over Hawaii Election Deepfake Law |url= https://news.bloomberglaw.com/tech-and-telecom-law/satire-news-website-challenges-hawaii-election-deepfake-law |access-date=July 1, 2025 |website=Bloomberg Law |language=en-US }}</ref> Following a suit by ''The Babylon Bee'', and Hawaii resident Dawn O'Brien<ref>{{Cite web |last=Russel |first=Elizabeth |date=June 5, 2025 |title=ADF, Babylon Bee sue over Hawaii online content law |url= https://wng.org/sift/adf-babylon-bee-sue-over-hawaii-online-content-law-1749156592 |access-date=July 1, 2025 |website=World News Group |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 5, 2025 |title=Babylon Bee sues Hawaii over anti-satire law |url= https://www.christiantoday.com/news/babylon-bee-sues-hawaii-over-anti-satire-law |access-date=July 1, 2025 |website=Christian Today |language=en-US }}</ref> a federal judge struck down the law noting that "restricts constitutionally protected political speech" and "could conceivably lead to discretionary and targeted enforcement that discriminates based on viewpoint.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 30, 2026 |title=Hawaii Deepfake Election Law is Unconstitutional, Court Says (1) |url= https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/hawaiis-deepfake-election-law-violates-free-speech-court-finds |access-date=February 6, 2026 |website=Bloomberg Law |language=en-US }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=January 31, 2026 |title=Babylon Bee scores free-speech win as judge rejects Hawaii's ban on election speech |url= https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/31/babylon-bee-scores-free-speech-win-judge-rejects-hawaiis-ban-election/ |access-date=February 6, 2026 |website=Washington Times |language=en-US }}</ref> Hawaii chose not to appeal that decision and paid $118,000 for the Babylon Bee's legal fees.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 22, 2026 |title=Case closed: Hawaii officials pay up for unconstitutional censorship of political memes |url= https://theiowastandard.com/case-closed-hawaii-officials-pay-up-for-unconstitutional-censorship-of-political-memes/ |access-date=May 26, 2026 |website=The Iowa Standard |language=en-US }}</ref>

===''Amicus'' briefs=== In ''Novak v. City of Parma'', a case arising out of a Facebook page created by Anthony Novak in March 2016 to lampoon a local police department, satire website ''The Onion'' filed an ''amicus'' brief with the Supreme Court in support of Novak, arguing the police department took action against a clearly satirical expression of speech.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sherman |first=Mark |date=October 4, 2022 |title=The Onion and the Supreme Court. Not a parody |url=https://apnews.com/article/the-onion-supreme-court-parody-72a286d21f2d484326b13a5b18884f93 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=AP News |language=en |archive-date=January 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130191409/https://apnews.com/article/the-onion-supreme-court-parody-72a286d21f2d484326b13a5b18884f93 |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2022, ''The Babylon Bee'' filed an ''amicus'' brief as well, supporting ''The Onion''{{'s}} position.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sullum |first=Jacob |date=November 1, 2022 |title='The Babylon Bee' joins 'The Onion' in decrying an Ohio law that makes parody a felony |url=https://reason.com/2022/11/01/the-babylon-bee-joins-the-onion-in-decrying-an-ohio-law-that-makes-parody-a-felony/ |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Reason |language=en-US |archive-date=November 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119235358/https://reason.com/2022/11/01/the-babylon-bee-joins-the-onion-in-decrying-an-ohio-law-that-makes-parody-a-felony/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-293/244213/20221028092221628_Babylon%20Bee%20-%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf ''Amicus'' Br. of ''Babylon Bee'' in Supp. of Pet'r] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130191541/https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-293/244213/20221028092221628_Babylon%20Bee%20-%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf |date=January 30, 2024 }}, ''Novak v. City of Parma'', No.&nbsp;22-293.</ref> ''The Babylon Bee'' later published, but did not file, a satirical brief in support of the police department, arguing "[i]t is essential to protect those with coercive power who wield it for self-preserving ends{{nbsp}}... Our society can only function if people get their information from a tightly controlled source that has never lied to us, like the government or the police."<ref name="Forbes Amicus">{{cite web |last=Sibilla |first=Nick |date=November 6, 2022 |title=Babylon Bee Files Real Supreme Court Brief Defending The First Amendment Right To Make Fun Of Cops |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicksibilla/2022/11/06/babylon-bee-files-real-supreme-court-brief-defending-the-first-amendment-right-to-make-fun-of-cops/?sh=5e88ddef45c6 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Forbes |language=en-US |archive-date=January 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130191521/https://gum.criteo.com/syncframe?origin=publishertag&topUrl=www.forbes.com |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Volokh |first=Eugene |author-link=Eugene Volokh |date=October 28, 2022 |title=Babylon Bee Files Amicus Brief in Support of Parody Rights — and Doesn't File an Amicus Brief Opposing It |url=https://reason.com/volokh/2022/10/28/babylon-bee-files-amicus-brief-in-support-of-parody-rights-and-doesnt-file-an-amicus-brief-opposing-it/ |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Reason |language=en-US |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208173312/https://reason.com/volokh/2022/10/28/babylon-bee-files-amicus-brief-in-support-of-parody-rights-and-doesnt-file-an-amicus-brief-opposing-it/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Sixth Circuit had ruled that the officers were protected by qualified immunity, and the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal, leaving the Sixth Circuit decision in effect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cushing |first=Tim |date=February 22, 2023 |title=Supreme Court Passes On Important Parody Case, Allows Cops To Treat Satire As A Criminal Act In The Sixth Circuit |url=https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/22/supreme-court-passes-on-important-parody-case-allows-cops-to-treat-satire-as-a-criminal-act-in-the-sixth-circuit/ |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Techdirt |language=en-US |archive-date=September 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912215848/https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/22/supreme-court-passes-on-important-parody-case-allows-cops-to-treat-satire-as-a-criminal-act-in-the-sixth-circuit/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the 2022 passage of The Hateful Conduct Law in New York (Section 394-CCC of New York's General Business law), Eugene Volokh, the Rumble video hosting website, and the Locals crowdfunding website filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Klasfeld |first=Adam |date=December 1, 2022 |title=Rumble and Law Professor Sue New York Attorney General to Block Online Hate Speech Law, Calling It a First Amendment 'Double Whammy' |url=https://lawandcrime.com/first-amendment/rumble-and-law-professor-sue-new-york-attorney-general-to-block-online-hate-speech-law-calling-it-a-first-amendment-double-whammy/ |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Law & Crime |language=en |archive-date=June 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603015644/https://lawandcrime.com/first-amendment/rumble-and-law-professor-sue-new-york-attorney-general-to-block-online-hate-speech-law-calling-it-a-first-amendment-double-whammy/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and a preliminary injunction was granted.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Greiner |first=Jack |date=March 2, 2023 |title=Strictly Legal: Court strikes down "hateful speech" law |url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2023/03/02/strictly-legal-court-strikes-down-hateful-speech-law/69955132007/ |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=The Cincinnati Enquirer |language=en-US |archive-date=March 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328020255/https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2023/03/02/strictly-legal-court-strikes-down-hateful-speech-law/69955132007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> New York Attorney General Letitia James filed an appeal, which prompted ''The Babylon Bee'' to file an ''amicus'' brief in September 2023, in which they described the law as "regulat[ing] almost nothing but constitutionally protected speech."<ref name="Wash Times NY AG">{{cite web |last=Richardson |first=Valerie |date=October 4, 2023 |title=Babylon Bee takes on New York AG Letitia James over state's hate speech law |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/oct/4/babylon-bee-takes-on-new-york-ag-letitia-james-ove/ |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=The Washington Times |language=en-US |archive-date=November 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114042102/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/oct/4/babylon-bee-takes-on-new-york-ag-letitia-james-ove/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67085316/89/volokh-v-james/ ''Amicus'' Br. of ''Babylon Bee'' in Supp. of Appellees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130191510/https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67085316/89/volokh-v-james/ |date=January 30, 2024 }}, ''Volokh v. James'', No.&nbsp;23-356.</ref>

In response to legislation passed in Florida (Florida SB 7072) and Texas (Texas HB 20) in 2021 aimed to limit social media's ability to regulate content, the NetChoice trade association filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction in ''Moody v. NetChoice, LLC'' and ''NetChoice v. Paxton''. Two federal courts of appeals split decisions, with the Fifth Circuit upholding an injunction and the Eleventh overturning an injunction. The resulting split prompted the Supreme Court to hear the cases jointly. After that announcement, ''The Babylon Bee'' and ''Not the Bee'' filed a joint ''amicus'' brief in January 2024 in support of both states' respective laws, arguing that social media companies have inconsistently applied content moderation standards to target conservative viewpoints.<ref name="Deseret Amicus">{{cite web |last=Dallas |first=Kelsey |date=January 26, 2024 |title=Why The Babylon Bee filed a Supreme Court brief |url=https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/1/26/24051651/babylon-bee-supreme-court-social-media-case |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Deseret News |language=en-US |archive-date=January 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129125428/https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/1/26/24051651/babylon-bee-supreme-court-social-media-case |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Patrick |date=June 2, 2022 |title=Supreme Court Blocks Texas Law Intended to Keep Conservative Viewpoints Alive on Social Media |url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/supreme-court-blocks-texas-law-aimed-at-viewpoint-discrimination-on-social-media-14131247 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Dallas Observer |language=en}}</ref><ref>[https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-293/244213/20221028092221628_Babylon%20Bee%20-%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf ''Amicus'' Br. of ''Babylon Bee'' and ''Not the Bee'' in Supp. of Pet'r] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130191541/https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-293/244213/20221028092221628_Babylon%20Bee%20-%20Amicus%20Brief.pdf |date=January 30, 2024 }}, ''Moody v. NetChoice'', Nos.&nbsp;22-277 and 22-555.</ref> In the brief, both ''The Babylon Bee'' and ''Not the Bee'' claimed they had experienced censorship from large social media platforms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gryboski |first=Michael |date=September 15, 2021 |title=Babylon Bee joins legal battle in support of Florida law fighting social media censorship |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/babylon-bee-joins-legal-battle-to-stop-social-media-censorship.html |access-date=September 15, 2021 |website=The Christian Post |language=en-US |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915182127/https://www.christianpost.com/news/babylon-bee-joins-legal-battle-to-stop-social-media-censorship.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==''Not the Bee''== <!-- discuss at the talk page before remove this content --> The Dillons and Ford launched the website ''Not the Bee'' on September 1, 2020. The content on ''Not the Bee'' is not satirical. The website instead publishes strange news stories and commentary, and hosts a social media platform.<ref name="Flood">{{cite web|last1=Flood|first1=Brian|date=October 26, 2020|title=Babylon Bee CEO says liberals are 'threatened by the effectiveness of satire' so they attempt to silence it|url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/babylon-bee-liberals-satire-silence|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102201306/https://www.foxnews.com/media/babylon-bee-liberals-satire-silence|archive-date=January 2, 2021|access-date=January 7, 2021|website=Fox News}}</ref><ref name="Varney">{{cite web |last1=Varney |first1=James |title=Babylon Bee: Satire or real news?|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/jan/3/babylon-bee-satire-or-real-news/ |website=The Washington Times |date=January 3, 2021}}</ref> Seth Dillon has described it as "a humor-based entertainment site that offers commentary on stories that are so outrageous they should be satire, but somehow aren't".<ref name="Flood" />

== Books, film and audio == === Books === * {{cite book| author=The Babylon Bee, Adam Ford| year=2018| title= How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living| publisher=Multnomah| isbn= 978-0735291522}} * {{cite book| author=The Babylon Bee| year=2020| title= The Sacred Texts of The Babylon Bee, Volume 1| publisher=Babylon Bee, T.H.E.| isbn= 978-1734750508}}

==== The Babylon Bee Guides ==== * {{cite book| author=The Babylon Bee, Joel Berry, Kyle Mann| year= 2021| title= The Babylon Bee Guide to Wokeness| publisher=Salem Books| isbn= 978-1684512713}} In the first week after publication, it ranked 20th on Amazon's top seller list,<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 7, 2021|title=Amazon Charts, Week of November 7, 2021|url=https://www.amazon.com/charts/2021-11-07/mostsold/nonfiction/ref=dp_chrtbg_dbs_1|access-date=November 12, 2021|website=Amazon|language=en-US|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112155139/https://www.amazon.com/charts/2021-11-07/mostsold/nonfiction/ref=dp_chrtbg_dbs_1|url-status=live}}</ref> 22nd on ''USA Today''{{'}}s top seller list,<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2021 |title=Best-Selling Books Top 150 |url=https://content-static.usatoday.com/editorial/life/booklist/usatodaybooks.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112155141/https://content-static.usatoday.com/editorial/life/booklist/usatodaybooks.pdf |archive-date=November 12, 2021 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}</ref> and fourth on ''Publishers Weekly''{{'}}s paperback bestsellers list.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2021 |title=Publishers Weekly Top Trade Paper Frontlist |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/nielsen/tradepaper.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120121004/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/nielsen/tradepaper.html |archive-date=November 20, 2021 |access-date=January 30, 2024 |website=Publishers Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref> * {{cite book| author=The Babylon Bee| year= 2022| title= The Babylon Bee Guide to Democracy| publisher=Salem Books| isbn= 978-1684513727}} * {{cite book| author=The Babylon Bee| year=2023| title= Babylon Bee Guide to Gender| publisher=Salem Books| isbn=978-1684514533}} * {{cite book| author=The Babylon Bee| year=2024| title= The Babylon Bee Guide to the Apocalypse| publisher=Regnery| isbn= 978-1510781542}}

=== Film === * {{cite web |website= The Babylon Bee |date=October 11, 2024 |title= January 6th: The Most Deadliest Day |url=https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2024/10/babylon-bee-movie-undercuts-media-narrative/ }}

=== Audio === * {{cite podcast| author=The Babylon Bee| date=June 15, 2019 |title= The Babylon Bee| url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-babylon-bee/id1468715531}}

==See also== * List of satirical news websites

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{official website}}

{{Subject bar|portal1=comedy|portal2=US|q=y}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Babylon Bee, The}} Category:2010s in comedy Category:2016 establishments in Florida Category:2020s in comedy Category:American companies established in 2016 Category:American conservative websites Category:American satirical websites Category:Christian websites Category:Companies based in Palm Beach County, Florida Category:Conservative media in the United States Category:Conservatism in the United States Category:Internet properties established in 2016 Category:Jupiter, Florida Category:Religious comedy websites