COLUMBUS (WCMH) – Online sites are joining Twitter in taking steps against President Donald Trump and his followers online.
The list of social media and internet platforms banning or regulating Trump has grown over the last day, causing some to cry foul while others say it’s about time.
“”I think it’s long overdue,” said Marietta resident Zach Wilcox. “I think it’s gone so far now that we’re having these problems.”
“I’m not a big fan of censorship,” said Lancaster resident Stone Greenlee. “I understand that we have to minimize the violent rhetoric that goes on but, I’m just not a fan of hat speech. I think the only thing you can do with inappropriate speech is counter it with good speech.”
After years of using the platform to talk about everything from Diet Coke to presidential pardons, Twitter essentially silenced the president Friday night, suspending his Twitter account and removing thousands of messages he has sent over the last decade from their website.
The move comes after Wednesday’s events at the Capitol in Washington D.C., with Twitter and other companies now saying they don’t want their platforms used to spread messages that could incite further incidents.
On Saturday, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, PayPal, TikTok, Shopify and Reddit have also limited Trump’s ability to rally online.
However, the president is still free to rally his supporters in person, and that’s an important distinction, according to internet attorney Andrew Rossow.
Rossow said Trump’s First Amendment rights haven’t been violated by these actions because it’s not the government taking action against him; it is private companies that are taking away the microphone they gave him.
“Whether it’s Facebook, Google, Apple, think of them as their own playgrounds, right?” Rossow said. “Playgrounds have their own rules, right? And if you choose to enter one of these playgrounds or join one of these platforms or chose to be a patron of Google or Apple, you have to adhere to certain guidelines.”
Tech companies have been under a lot of pressure in recent months for the content they do and do not allow.
“This is a big deal, but there’s going to be a lot of aftermath following this,” Rossow said.
By taking action against the president, tech companies may now be a bigger target for lawmakers in Congress who may be worried they’re next.
“Definitely a step in the right direction and hopefully this sends a message to individuals who try to use these platforms to spread this kind of behavior, but I think this power, this ability to just ban individuals needs to be checked and needs to be regulated and that’ll come with time,” Rossow said.