New Delhi: Twitter Friday announced it is permanently suspending the account of US President Donald Trump from its platform following the siege of US Capitol Hill, a place of political significance given that it houses the federal government’s legislative branch and is the seat of the US Congress.
The decision follows Trump’s activity, that included egging on the protesting mob that stormed the Capitol and interrupted the counting of Electoral College votes, which showed a victory for Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden in the presidential election held in November 2020.
“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them…we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” the company posted on its blog.
ThePrint considers the ban and what it means for Donald Trump.
Also read: Implications of Capitol Hill violence on US politics, and the legacy Trump leaves behind
A first for Twitter
The ban on Trump is a rare instance where a leader of a country has been banned on a social media site.
Responding to an email from ThePrint, Twitter said it was the first time it had suspended a head of a country on its platform.
“Yes, to the best of our knowledge, since introducing our approach to world leaders. However, we have taken other enforcement actions (requiring Tweet deletions, account lockouts) on a range of elected officials and world leaders.”
Cyber law expert Dr Pavan Duggal told ThePrint the suspension is an “unprecedented move and the first against a sitting American President”.
Also read: Capitol Hill chaos sees Trump presidency careen towards end on a violent final note
Is the ban permanent?
For the time being, it appears Trump has permanently been barred from using the account @realDonaldTrump, and will not be allowed to create other accounts either.
On whether the outgoing President would be able to create an account under another name, Twitter told ThePrint in its email response: “If we have a reason to believe he’s using accounts to evade the suspension, the accounts could face permanent suspension under our ban evasion policies.”
However, suspensions can be appealed according to the company’s policy.
“We permit every account holder to appeal. Per our range of enforcement options.
“Violators can appeal permanent suspensions if they believe we made an error. They can do this through the platform interface or by filing a report. Upon appeal, if we find that a suspension is valid, we respond to the appeal with information on the policy that the account has violated,” the company stated.
Also read: America’s credibility has been stormed
Can Trump sue Twitter?
Cyberlaw expert Dr Duggal said the US law does allow Trump to challenge Twitter on the permanent suspension. However, Twitter is not legally liable since Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act gives tech firms absolute immunity from such liability.
Section 230 is a 1996 law that protects online companies from legal liability for users’ posts, and for decisions to remove material.
Still, it is possible for a court to order the lifting of the suspension if it finds the suspension violates the law.
Twitter’s decision, though, becomes more relevant in context of the events at Capitol Hill, Duggal added.
Also read: Sorry, President Trump, Twitter makes its own rules
Trump-Twitter’s jagged history
Twitter’s action against Trump is only the latest in a long line of red flags.
Before the ban, Twitter removed Trump’s tweets on the US Capitol siege that took place earlier this week.
In 2020, the micro-blogging site labelled the president’s tweets as ‘manipulated media’.
Trump then accused Twitter of creating “false trends” and demanded that Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act be “terminated”.
In May that year, he signed an executive order that sought to limit the liability protections social-media companies enjoy after Twitter labeled several of his posts as potentially misleading. Trump cited Twitter, Google, Facebook “and perhaps others” and said online companies have “unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide” communications.
Also read: Trump is putting pressure on legal protections of Facebook, Twitter even in last days
Hope India’s turn comes soon!
Look at THE LIBERALS of DNC ! Tweeter ! They stop the president of the USA from talking to his friends / followers. Do they care. For the freedom of expression? What they will do to ordinary men? Look at the reports suggesting President will be impeached …… Within remaining 12 days… And you call Pelosi and cohorts Democratic? Banana Republic of the DNC !
So much for freedom of expression. No wonder the Chinese are having a field day calling out American hypocrisy.