Twitter removed US President Trump’s account last week citing the risk of violence after the storm of the Capitol by his supporters.
Twitter Inc. chief executive Jack Dorsey says banning United States President Donald Trump was “the right decision” after last week’s violence in the US Capitol, but it sets a dangerous precedent.
San Francisco-based Twitter deleted Trump’s account last week, citing the risk of further violence by the president’s supporters following the Capitol storm.
“These actions were converted into public conversations,” Dorsey said on Twitter. “They divide us. They limit the ability of explanation, redemption and learning. And sets an example that I think is dangerous: a person or corporation has power over a part of global public interaction. “
The ban drew criticism from some Republicans, who said it eliminated the president’s right to free speech. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also warned, through a spokesman, that legislators, not private companies, should decide on possible sanctions to free expression.
In her Twitter thread, Dorsey said that while she took no pride in the ban, “the offline harm resulting from online speech is demonstrably real, and that lifts our policy and enforcement.”
I don’t celebrate or feel proud about the ban @realDonaldTrump From Twitter, or how we got here. After a clear warning that we would take this action, we made a decision with the best information on Twitter and then based on threats to physical security. was it right?
– Jack (@jack) 14 January 2021
Nevertheless, he said, “While there are clear and unambiguous exceptions, I think the ban is our failure to ultimately promote dialogue.”
Twitter has launched a series of measures over the past year to reduce the need for decisions about the complete removal of labels, warnings and distribution restrictions from service.
‘Healthy’ conversation
Dorsey has said he believes those measures can promote more fruitful, or “healthy,” interactions online and reduce the impact of bad behavior.
The Twitter CEO said that Trump was banned by social media companies after last week’s violence, even though they were not coordinated, yet acknowledged each other’s actions. But in the long term, the preceding set would be “destructive to the great purpose and ideals of the open Internet,” he said.
Trump’s supporters, who repeatedly made unfounded claims challenging Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the November election, stormed the US Capitol on January 6, trying to block the certificate from Congress’ Biden Electoral College victory.
On Wednesday, Trump became the first president to receive impeachment twice in American history.
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