Q: Wait Restrictions On The Freedom Of Speech
As Nott wrote, the First Amendment protects hate speech from government censorship unless that speech incites or is likely to incite imminent lawless action.
The constitution also does not protect a persons rights to issue threats, what Nott called serious expressions of intent to commit acts of unlawful violence.
All major social media platforms have policies that mirror those guidelines. Twitter, for example, specifically bans harassment and includes incitement of others to commit harassment.
Reddit does not allow any speech that encourages users to fear for their safety or the safety of those around them.
Are Other Tech Firms Blocking Trump Or His Supporters
Earlier on Friday, Twitter permanently banned the accounts of two Trump loyalists: former national security adviser Michael Flynn and attorney Sidney Powell.
Meanwhile, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh deactivated his Twitter account shortly after they were banned.
Later in the day, Google suspended Parler – a self-styled “free speech” rival to Twitter that is increasingly popular with Trump supporters – from its online store.
“We’re aware of continued posting in the Parler app that seeks to incite ongoing violence in the US,” said Google.
On Thursday, Facebook said it had suspended Mr Trump “indefinitely”. The popular gaming platform Twitch also placed an indefinite ban on the outgoing president’s channel, which he has used for rally broadcasts. So has Snapchat.
Two online Trump memorabilia stores were closed this week by e-commerce company Shopify. On Friday, Reddit banned its “donaldtrump” forum for the president’s supporters.
Twitter Says Trump Ban Is Permanent Even If He Runs For Office Again
Chief financial officer says when youre removed, youre removed our policies dont allow people to come back
Donald Trumps ban from the social media platform Twitter is going to stick even if he runs for the White House again and even if he won again, a senior executive said on Wednesday.
The former presidents permanent block from Twitter is permanent, Twitters chief financial officer, Ned Segal, said during an interview on CNBC when he was asked whether Trumps tweeting privileges could be restored if he ever returns to power.
The way our policies work, when youre removed from the platform, youre removed from the platform, Segal said.
He added: Whether youre a commentator, youre a CFO, or you are a former or current public official. Remember, our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence, and if anybody does that, we have to remove them from the service and our policies dont allow people to come back.
The news came as Trumps impeachment trial is taking place in the Senate, on a charge that he incited an insurrection with his inflammatory exhortations at a rally in Washington immediately before the breach of the US Capitol by a murderous mob on 6 January.
When he was impeached last year, he tweeted criticism throughout, although then, and now, he declined to appear at the trial in his own defense.
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Ban Of Twitter In Nigeria
From 5 June 2021 to 13 January 2022, the government of Nigeria officially banned , which restricted it from operating in the country. The ban occurred after Twitter deleted tweets made by, and temporarily suspended, the Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, because of a warning the southeastern people of Nigeria, predominantly Igbo people, of a potential repeat of the 1967 Biafran Civil War due to the ongoing insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria. The Nigerian government claimed that the deletion of the president’s tweets factored into their decision, but it was ultimately based on “a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences”, citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.
The ban was condemned by Amnesty International, the British, Canadian and Swedish diplomatic missions to Nigeria, as well as the United States and the European Union in a joint statement. Two domestic organizations, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project and the Nigerian Bar Association, indicated intent to challenge the ban in court. Twitter itself called the ban “deeply concerning”.
In January 2022, Nigeria lifted its ban after Twitter agreed to pay an “applicable tax” and establish a legal entity within the country sometime in the first quarter of 2022.
Why Twitter Pulled The Plug
Trump first was banned temporarily by both Facebook and Twitter on Jan. 6 in the midst of a riot where his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers proceeded with the formality of counting Electoral College votes. Many lawmakers and even former members of Trump’s administration criticized Trump for encouraging his supporters to reject the election results and protest at the Capitol. Congress later reaffirmed Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.
As the riot unfolded, Trump tweeted messages encouraging nonviolence, though he later released a video message that also reiterated his unsubstantiated claim that the election was stolen from him and told rioters,”We love you.”
Twitter initially blocked some of Trump’s tweets from public view on Wednesday and required he delete them to regain access to his account. After the deletion, he was locked out of the account for another 12 hours. But, Twitter warned, future policy violations would result in permanent suspension of Trump’s account.
In his on Jan. 7, Trump posted a video message urging calm and giving the closest thing to a concession speech yet, saying there would be a transition to a new administration. Still, he told supporters, “Our incredible journey is only just beginning.”
Later, Trump tweeted, “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”
Twitter determined those tweets violated its Glorification of Violence Policy, prompting the ban.
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Why Buhari Suspended Twitter Presidency
Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesman, explained that the ban was not all about Buhari’s tweet deleted by Twitter.
The Presidency has explained why President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the operation of Twitter in Nigeria.Nigeria’s information and culture minister Lai Mohammed had on Friday announced Twitter’s suspension in a statement by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi.
Muhammadu Buhari
Nigeria’s Twitter Ban: The People Risking Arrest To Tweet
Many Nigerians have been continuing to tweet in defiance of government threats to arrest and prosecute anyone violating the ban it imposed on Twitter.
They are using Virtual Private Networks to bypass the ban after telecommunications companies heeded the government’s directive and blocked the micro-blogging site.
Gbenga Sesan of the Paradigm Initiative, which offers digital opportunities to young people across Africa, said the government’s ban had backfired.
“Guess what? The only people who have been muted right now appear to be the government themselves. Yes, some businesses are not tweeting because clearly they do not want to be punished, but the citizens they were trying to proscribe are still tweeting,” he told the BBC.
The ban was announced on Friday after the government alleged that the micro-blogging site was being used to undermine “Nigeria’s corporate existence” through the spreading of fake news that have “violent consequences”.
It drew an angry reaction from many Nigerians and Western powers who saw it as a threat to civil liberties, but the government was unrepentant, leaving Twitter officially blocked in Africa’s most populous state.
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Why Has Donald Trump’s Twitter Account Been Banned
not only Donald Trump’s personal Twitter account, but also his campaign account, prompting the president to tweet from the presidential @POTUS account – which Twitter then subsequently deleted.
Twitter Inc announced on January 8 that it had permanently suspended Trumps account due to the risk of further incitement of violence following the storming of the US Capitol.
It was the first time Twitter has banned a head of state, the company confirmed.
Trump has repeatedly used Twitter and other platforms to wrongly claim his defeat in the was due to widespread voter fraud.
He has also shared other conspiracy theories, and had urged supporters to go to Washington on January 6, and march on the Capitol to protest the election result.
Twitter then temporarily blocked Trumps account on January 6 following the deadly siege of Capitol Hill, and warned that additional violations by his accounts would result in a permanent suspension.
Trump was required to delete three rule-breaking tweets before his account was unblocked.
He returned to Twitter the following day, January 7, with a video acknowledging that Joe Biden would be the next US president.
But on Friday, January 8, Twitter said that two of Trump’s tweets posted that day were in violation of its policy against the glorification of violence.
The Claim: Donald Trump Is Back On Twitter
On Jan. 8, the permanent suspension of former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, citing two tweets posted after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Twitter ruled the tweets violated its Glorification of Violence policy, announcing, “the user @realDonaldTrump should be immediately permanently suspended from the service.”
On May 27, however, an Instagram user claimed “Hes back!!!”
The post accumulated more than 300 interactions as of June 3. Commenters clearly grasped the poster’s intended meaning as a reference to Trump’s Twitter account.
But that wasn’t a post from Twitter.
USA TODAY reached out to the user for comment.
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So Can You Be Arrested For Tweeting In Nigeria
Some legal experts say they are unaware of any law which makes it illegal to tweet, but others say police can arrest alleged violators because of the sweeping powers given to them under national security legislation.
Security personnel in Nigeria have been known to zealously enforce government orders even when there is no legal clarity, as in this case.
However, a group of human rights organisations says it has filed a case with a West African regional court describing the ban as “unlawful”.
Breaking: Dave Portnoy Banned From Twitter For Reportedly Celebrating End Of Coronavirus Pandemic
Dave Portnoy, the founder of popular blogging and podcasting organisation Barstool Sports has been permanently suspended from Twitter for reportedly celebrating the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
User @mcm_ct, an account mostly focused on market commentary, was the first person to notice that Portnoy, who had 2.5 million followers, had been permanently banned from Twitter at around 7:50 EST on Friday, with the last reply tweets to his account having occurred only a few minutes before, suggesting the ban took place somewhere around that time.
mcm-ct.com
Initial reaction from some users highlighted that Portnoy, who founded Barstool Sports, the popular blogging and podcast organisation, had been celebrating the end of the coronavirus pandemic. In a video which is still available on his Facebook page, Portnoy drank a bottle of champagne engraved with the word coronavirus, which he declared was a ritual he does whenever an enemy of his is defeated, claiming that now the pandemic is over and coronavirus is dead, he can finally open the bottle:
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In response, the hashtag #FreePortnoy was created. Although there has been no official comment from Portnoy himself or from Barstool Sports as to the banning situation, the official Barstool Sports account did tweet out a picture of Portnoy together with Twitter CEO and Founder Jack Dorsey at an event coupled with the hashtag.
Barstool Sports
Dave Portnoy
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How Is Donald Trump Communicating With Supporters
The suspension of Trumps Twitter account, which had more than 88million followers, silences his primary megaphone days before the end of his presidential term.
BBC News said: “After a week of unprecedented turbulence it’s difficult to know what will affect Donald Trump’s fortunes more – impeachment if it happens, or the lack of access to his social media soapbox that’s been so effective in building and rallying his mass band of supporters.”
Members of his family are still tweeting on his behalf, including Ivanka and Donald Jr.
His legions of supporters meanwhile have been lamenting his sudden enforced absence, with one tweeting: “Twitter without Donald Trump is like a Christmas without tree.”
The president revealed on January 8 that he is considering using other social media companies or even creating his own platform.
He also added that many conservatives believed social media companies like Twitter and Facebook were unfairly targeting their viewpoints.
“We have been negotiating with various other sites, and will have a big announcement soon, while we also look at the possibilities of building out our own platform in the near future. We will not be SILENCED!” Trump’s last tweet thundered.
Bernie Isn’t A Fan Of Twitter’s Trump Ban
“I dont feel comfortable about it,” Sanders said.
03/24/2021 03:21 PM EDT
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Dont count Sen. Bernie Sanders as a fan of Twitters move to permanently suspend former President Donald Trump.
In an interview with Ezra Klein on Kleins New York Times podcast, Sanders railed against Trump, but said he had reservations about Twitter banning Trump.
You have a former president in Trump, who is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe, a pathological liar, an authoritarian, somebody who doesnt believe in the rule of law. This is a bad news guy, Sanders said when asked if liberals have become ” too censorious,” according to a transcript of the interview. But if youre asking me, do I feel particularly comfortable that the president, the then-president of the United States could not express his views on Twitter? I dont feel comfortable about it.
Sanders, a progressive senator who has been a frequent critic of big tech and corporations, said that he isnt sure what the right answer is on how to protect First Amendment rights without moving this country into a big lie mentality and conspiracy theories.
Sanders has previously called for big tech companies like Facebook and Amazon to be broken up. Sanders himself has a prolific Twitter following, with more than 15 million followers on his personal account.
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Question: Why Did Twitter Ban Trumps Account
Answer: Twitter said on its blog that several tweets sent by Trump violated its terms of service, particularly the companys policy on glorification of violence.
Two tweets in particular raised concerns, Twitter said. One, in which the president said he will not be attending President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on Jan 20, could serve as encouragement to those potentially considering violent acts that the Inauguration would be a safe target, as he will not be attending, Twitter said.
In another tweet, the president referred to people who stormed the U.S. Capitol as American patriots. That is being interpreted as support for those committing violent acts at the U.S. Capitol, Twitter said.
Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the U.S. Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021, Twitter said. As such, our determination is that the two Tweets above are likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on January 6, 2021, and that there are multiple indicators that they are being received and understood as encouragement to do so.
Q: Cant Trump Use Another Account
A: Yes, but not with impunity and not without consequences.
“As I have been saying for a long time, Twitter has gone further and further in banning free speech, and tonight, Twitter employees have coordinated with the Democrats and the Radical Left in removing my account from their platform, to silence me and YOU, the 75,000,000 great patriots who voted for me,” the president wrote on Twitter.
A Twitter spokesperson told The Hill that when accounts are used to get around bans, they are also suspended.
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Are Prominent People Defying The Ban
Yes, especially in the opposition – such as Oyo state Governor Seyi Makinde, who belongs to the People’s Democratic Party and has been a vocal critic of the ban.
However, Kaduna state governor and President Buhari’s right-hand man, Nasir El-Rufai on Monday retweeted a Russian publication that praised Nigeria’s suspension of Twitter.
Reputable Nigerian newspapers like The Punch, Daily Trust and The Guardian, all of which have online versions, have also continued to tweet.
This is probably because the internet is not regulated in Nigeria so the newspapers have no government agency watching over them.
In contrast, radio and television stations have a regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission, which warned them that failure to deactivate their Twitter accounts would be viewed as an unpatriotic act.
It also says that journalists should not use Twitter to gather information.
Some leading radio stations like Radio Now FM in Lagos and Daar Communications are complying with the directive, but say they will challenge it.
The ban has also affected the BBC which has dozens of journalists in Nigeria.
“BBC journalists in Nigeria are continuing to reach audiences on Twitter with news stories published via the BBC Africa and BBC World Twitter accounts,” the UK-headquartered broadcaster said in a statement.
As for private Nigeria-based businesses, most of them – including banks – have stopped tweeting.
What Has Been The Impact Of The Ban
NetBlocks, a global internet monitor, says Nigeria is losing about $250,000 each hour the ban is in place and analysts say this ban may further weaken the economy and increase the already high unemployment levels for young people.
Twitter is popular with many Nigerians, the platform has been used to raise funds for the sick, summon ambulances, help locate missing people and has been a source of livelihood for many of the country’s young people.
It has also been a powerful mobilising tool, with activists using it to rally support during last year’s protests against police brutality under the hashtag #EndSars, which gained global attention and were backed by superstars such as Rihanna, Kanye West and boxer Anthony Joshua.
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