For a long while now, Twitter has been under fire for not acting on the ridiculous behavior President Trump has been engaged in on their platform. Twitter has now offered an explanation as to why it hasn’t banned President Trump from its platform.
“Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society,” the company said in a blog post. “Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets, would hide important information people should be able to see and debate. It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.”
Since President Trump was elected in 2016, Twitter has received constant calls to have Trump banned. Among other accusations, critics have accused Trump of inciting violence with his tweets. For example, this week, a tweet from President Trump invoked the prospect of a nuclear war escalated tensions further with North Korea, but the tweet was allowed to remain on the service, as well as Trump. A nonprofit group called Color of Change has announced a new effort to get Trump banned from Twitter.
In Twitter’s blog post, the company reiterated its previous statement saying that all accounts must still follow the company’s rules and guidelines. The company’s statement did however leave the door open that it might one day take action against Trump’s account, or rather take action against any other world leader who might use the platform to incite violence and break rules. “We review Tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly,” it said.
