Twitter Explains Why It Banned Trump
Twitter has explained the reasons behind its decision to permanently suspend the account of outgoing US President Donald Trump.
The account was temporarily locked on 6 January following violence at the US Capitol.
While Twitter restored access to the account 12 hours later, the president received a permanent suspension on 8 January.
This Story Is Part Of A Group Of Stories Called
Uncovering and explaining how our digital world is changing and changing us.
Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trumps social media account on Friday afternoon, citing the risk of further incitement of violence.
The decision comes in the wake of Trumps encouragement of a rally in Washington, DC, that resulted in a mob storming the Capitol building and at least five deaths. For years, the president has used his Twitter account to reach his nearly 90 million now-former followers on the platform as a means to bypass traditional media. Many critics have long argued that Twitter should take a firmer stance against Trump due to his dangerous use of the platform to spread lies and violent rhetoric.
While some may see the move as too little, too late, and Trumps supporters are questioning it entirely, it nevertheless marks a historic exertion of Twitters ability to influence politics during a time when the strength of democracy in the US is being seriously tested.
Ahead of the permanent ban, Twitter had previously temporarily suspended Trumps tweets on Wednesday for violating its policies on civic integrity and violence, and warned that it may permanently suspend him if he continued to violate its policies. Now, users can no longer see Trumps tweets, and the president is unable to post on his account.
The move comes as hundreds of Twitters own employees urged CEO Jack Dorsey to suspend Trump permanently, according to a report by the Washington Post.
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.
Also Check: Does Instagram Take Gifs
The Platform Will Be Available Through An App On The Apple Store As A Beta Version For Trial By ‘invited Guests’ In November And The Company Expects A Full Rollout In The First Quarter Of 2022
Ten months since being banned by social medial companies following the January 6 Capitol Hill riots, former US president Donald Trump has now decided to launch his own social networking platform called TRUTH Social.
The platform will be owned by Trump Media & Technology Group , which also intends to launch a subscription video on demand service that will feature non-woke entertainment programming, the group said in a statement.
I am excited to send out my first TRUTH on TRUTH Social very soon. TMTG was founded with a mission to give a voice to all, Trump said in a statement on Wednesday.
Trump said that Truth Social would stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech. The platform will be available through an app on the Apple Store as a beta version for trial by invited guests in November and the company expects a full rollout in the first quarter of 2022.
Also read | US election 2024: Poll shows 80% Republicans want Donald Trump to run
We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favourite American President has been silenced. This is unacceptable, he continued.
The Trump Media & Technology Group will merge with blank check company Digital Acquisition Corp to make TMTG a publicly-listed company, the statement said.
Also read | Capitol riot: US committee votes to hold criminal contempt charge against Trumps ex-aide Steve Bannon
Since then, Trump has been trying to reclaim his space on social networking sites.
Has Donald Trump Been Banned From Other Platforms
Following the failed coup of the Capitol and mass rioting by far-right supporters of Trump, social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram suspended his accounts until at least after Biden’s inauguration.
TikTok has banned videos of Donald Trump inciting people to protest at Capitol Hill because it says they violate its policies.
Videos that feature talk of the riots but condemn violence will be allowed to remain.
It said in a statement: “Hateful behavior and violence have no place on TikTok.
“Content or accounts that seek to incite, glorify, or promote violence violate our Community Guidelines and will be removed.”
Hashtags that relate to the riot are also being blocked.
These include #stormthecapitol and #patriotparty.
You May Like: How To Mute Instagram Accounts
Great Trump Is Finally Banned From Twitter But How Did It Take This Long
Update, Jan. 8: On Friday evening, Twitter announced that it has permanently suspended Donald Trump’s account “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.” The social media platform had previously put the president’s account on a temporary 12-hour lock following the violent Capitol attack that took place on Jan. 6, determining that his recent tweets were “highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts.”
Original post, Jan. 6: Jan. 6 will forever be remembered not only as the day a pro-Trump mob violently stormed the Capitol in an act of domestic terrorism, but also as the day Donald Trump was finally banned from social media well, momentarily, at least. As the great JoJo famously said in her 2006 hit, however, “it’s just too little, too late,” and the damage has already been done.
As insurrectionists invaded and pillaged the Capitol building, bringing Congress’s election certification proceedings to an abrupt halt, Trump shared a pre-recorded video message instructing window-smashing, office-ransacking rioters to go home, right before telling them, “we love you” and “you’re very special.” Yep, I was just as appalled as I hope you were, too.
We’re essentially 99.8 percent of the way through his presidency, and they’re just now waking up and realizing how dangerous Trump’s rhetoric is?
Image Source: Getty / Olivier Douliery
Now That Virtual Assets Are Taxed Will Crypto Be Legalised In India
Trending Now
Hot on Web
In Case you missed it
Top Calculators
Top Searched Companies
Top Prime Articles
Top Slideshow
Top Videos
Read Also: Bullet Points In Linkedin
Branko Marcetic Writer And Author Jacobin Magazine
Whats the leftwing case for free speech?Censorship and any type of oppression, really always begins by targeting particularly unsympathetic people, those who it is uncontroversial to censor. But once you set that precedent, inevitably, the bounds of what is considered acceptable or wrong always ends up expanding.
Those censoring are liable to political pressure. They may want to temper criticism or ingratiate themselves with a new regime. When Facebook started factchecking due to concerns about fake news, some of the fact checkers that got on board were from rightwing news outlets like the Weekly Standard, a long-standing neo-conservative magazine, and the Daily Caller, Tucker Carlsons old media entity.
There were several instances where fact checkers from those outlets factchecked stories where there was strong disagreement . And in 2017, when Germany purged some violent far-right websites, it also took off a leftwing website because it was an anti-capitalist website. Thats an attempt to look even handed so it does not look like you are merely prosecuting the right.
Censorship and any type of oppression, really always begins by targeting particularly unsympathetic people
‘it’s Been A Net Benefit’ For Trump
Much in the way an overexposed celebrity retreats from the spotlight so that the public has a chance to miss them again, Trump could actually benefit from this pared-down presence on Twitter.
Being off Twitter has been a political gain for Trump, said Spicer, who opposes any Twitter bans on anti-censorship grounds.
“One of the biggest critiques of Trump from a lot of his detractors was the tone and tenor of his tweets,” he said. “With the absence of that, and the reality of Biden’s policies, then how well President Trump’s policies worked comes shining through a lot greater.”
Rather than unleashing a barrage of unplanned tweets that often undermined his own agenda and sent his allies scrambling, Trump is releasing fewer messages and giving Republicans fewer reasons to distance themselves from him, GOP insiders say.
“I think it’s been a net benefit. His statements are still getting very widely covered,” Wilson told Insider, noting that many journalists “can’t help themselves” when Trump blasts out an emailed statement.
“It has also benefited him in making him look like a victim subject to censorship, and all the punishments by Big Tech,” Wilson added.
“On the whole, it will probably be detrimental to his campaign if he doesn’t have that tool in his toolbox,” said Kaplan. “But I also think that’s entirely of his own doing because he repeatedly spread information on his own platforms that are dangerous.”
Don’t Miss: How To Save Contacts To Gmail On Iphone
Why Was Trump Banned From Twitter
According to Twitter, the suspension resulted from two tweets made on 8 January.
The first tweet said:
The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!
The second tweet said:
To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.
According to Twitter, the two tweets were assessed based on the companys glorification of violence policy.
We assessed the two Tweets referenced above under our Glorification of Violence policy, which aims to prevent the glorification of violence that could inspire others to replicate violent acts and determined that they were highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Twitter said.
The company took particular issue with the use of American Patriots, which some supporters have interpreted as referring to the Capitol attackers as well. The president had previously referred to those who stormed the Capitol as patriots.
Meanwhile, the presidents tweet that he would not be attending the inauguration was also an issue. Some saw it as implying that there would not be an orderly transition of power.
Furthermore, some have interpreted this to mean that the inauguration would be a safe target for a potential attack.
Feature image: Screenshot
Trump Allowed Back Onto Twitter
Technology reporters
US President Donald Trump has been allowed to Tweet again, after being locked out of his account for 12 hours.
Posting a more conciliatory message, he refrained from reiterating false claims of voter fraud.
Twitter said that it would ban Mr Trump “permanently” if he breached the platform’s rules again.
The move from Twitter puts clear water between it and Facebook, which suspended him “indefinitely” on Thursday.
Twitter has instead given the outgoing president a final warning.
Earlier on Thursday, the popular gaming platform Twitch also placed an indefinite ban on Mr Trump’s channel, which he has used for rally broadcasts.
Mr Trump tweeted several message on Wednesday, calling the people who stormed Capitol Hill “patriots”. He also said “We love you.”
Also Check: Protected Tweet Viewer
Would Banning Trump Be Counterproductive
Twitter banning Trump would certainly send a message. The question is, which one? While some might see it as a win for accountability, the right would immediately interpret the move as censorship against conservatives and it would probably boost support for the president among his base. It might even help Trump win the election.
Why Was Trump Banned
Mr Trump was locked out of his account for 12 hours on Wednesday after he called the people who stormed the US Capitol “patriots”.
Hundreds of his supporters entered the complex as the US Congress attempted to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. The ensuing violence led to the deaths of four civilians and a police officer.
Twitter warned then that it would ban Mr Trump “permanently” if he breached the platform’s rules again.
After being allowed back on Twitter, Mr Trump posted two tweets on Friday that the company cited as the final straws.
In one, he wrote: “The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!”
Twitter said this tweet “is being interpreted as further indication that President Trump does not plan to facilitate an ‘orderly transition'”.
In the next, the president tweeted: “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”
Twitter said this was “being received by a number of his supporters as further confirmation that the election was not legitimate”.
Twitter said both of these tweets were “in violation of the Glorification of Violence Policy”.
Also Check: I Accidentally Archived An Email In Gmail
Republicans Cheer Possible Twitter
U.S. Representative Jim Jordan arrives for the Republican caucus meeting, in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
WASHINGTON, April 25 – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives welcomed reports that Twitter Inc is poised to agree to a sale to Elon Musk and called on the Tesla Inc chief executive to return former President Donald Trump to Twitter.
But a watchdog group, Media Matters for America, warned against exactly what some Republicans cheered.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
“There is still time for Twitters board to prevent some of the worst harms. Any negotiations to sell Twitter to Musk must include clear enforceable mechanisms to uphold and maintain existing community standards, including the removal of those who violate those standards,” said Angelo Carusone, president of the nonprofit group.
U.S. Representative Jim Jordan, a member of the Freedom Caucus of conservative House Republicans, said he hoped the deal would go through.
“I think this deal looks like it’s good for the shareholders second, it’s good for free speech, it’s good for the First Amendment,” Jordan said in an interview with Fox News.
Jordan and other Republicans have been critical of Twitter for banning Trump and other notable conservatives.
Twitter banned Trump’s account due to the risk of further violence after the U.S. Capitol was stormed on Jan. 6, 2021.
Should We Celebrate Trumps Twitter Ban Five Free Speech Experts Weigh In
In recent years, the conversation around free speech and arguments to protect it have been dominated by the right. Should liberals try and reclaim the value for themselves?
Last week, as Twitter permanently banned Trump from its platform, critics from the right have been quick to blame a leftist culture within tech companies for a crackdown on free speech. That is not without its contradictions many people have expressed concerns about the decision, including Alexei Navalny and Angela Merkel. But it does raise an uncomfortable issue: in recent years, the conversation around free speech and arguments to protect it have been dominated by the right.
So what do experts make of it and should liberals try and reclaim the value for themselves? We asked five defenders of free speech to weigh in.
Also Check: How To Share Gofundme On Facebook
The Social Media Giant Have Announced A Permanent Suspension Of The President’s Personal Twitter Account Citing His Support For The Capitol Hill Riots And Refusal To Accept The Election Result
Twitter have announced that they have permanently suspended the personal account of Donald Trump, which the President had continued to use while in office. Trumps tweeting has been controversial throughout his presidency, frequently using the platform to take aim at political rivals, spread falsehoods and threaten those who oppose him.
In a statement released by Twitter to explain the decision, they make clear that they feel that Trumps use of the platform had caused the horrific scenes in the Capitol earlier this week that left five people dead.
The statement begins: After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.
After close review of recent Tweets from the account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.
Twitter Safety
Why have Twitter decided to remove Donald Trumps account?
In their statement, Twitter confirmed that the decision had been informed by the Capitol Hill riots and that they had warned Trump that continuing to stoke the flames would lead to stricter measures.
Trump ignored final warnings from Twitter