Title: ACLU warns of ‘unchecked power’ of big tech for banning Trump amid calls for investigation of Amazon, Google and Apple Source:
[None] URL Source:[None] Published:Jan 11, 2021 Author:Various Authors Post Date:2021-01-11 18:15:36 by Gatlin Keywords:None Views:1398 Comments:5
ACLU Counsel Warns of 'Unchecked Power' of Twitter, Facebook After Trump Suspension By Natalie Colarossi
A legislative counsel member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned Friday that the suspension of President Donald Trump's social media accounts wielded "unchecked power," by Twitter and Facebook.
Kate Ruane, a senior legislative counsel at the ACLU said in a statement that the decision to suspend Trump from social media could set a precedent for big tech companies to silence less privileged voices.
"For months, President Trump has been using social media platforms to seed doubt about the results of the election and to undermine the will of voters. We understand the desire to permanently suspend him now, but it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions – especially when political realities make those decisions easier," the statement read.
"President Trump can turn his press team or Fox News to communicate with the public, but others – like many Black, Brown, and LGTBQ activists who have been censored by social media companies – will not have that luxury. It is our hope that these companies will apply their rules transparently to everyone.
On Friday, Twitter announced Trump would be permanently suspended from its platform "due to the risk of further incitement of violence." The president will also be banned from using Facebook until at least the end of his term.
Finally, it's about time ACLU stepped up to batter these thugs. Now where are the other so-called public-interest law firms to file friend of the court briefs on this obscenity?
