President Trump’s frequent use of Twitter, has caused many Americans to reevaluate just how effective social media is. Under the first amendment, citizens are granted the right to free speech. However, Twitter’s right to free speech is also protected and allows censorship of its users.
In the past 20 years, social media has created a monumental shift in ones accessibility to express themselves. Journalism was once the only way one could get their message out Now social media has now become a readily available platform. Twitter is starting to censor its users for content that they deem is inappropriate. Twitter is quickly losing its credibility because it continues to censor their users content.
In 2017, 67% of adults said that they received a portion of their news off of social media sites. This is up 5% from 2016. Furthermore, Twitter, Youtube, and Snapchat each saw its new usership increase by at least 10%.
Twitter credibility is beginning to drastically fall due to the platforms censorship of its users. Especially due to the lack of censorship standards its has been a partisan effort. This was especially transparent when during the 2016 election cycle many conservative voices were stifled.
Milo Yiannopoulos was banned from Twitter after getting into a social media bash with Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones. While it can be argued that Milo crossed the line in his social media feud, eventually he was permanently banned from twitter. Users who are permanently banned from Twitter are not told what constituted their removal as there are no actual guidelines on what is not acceptable. Many have speculated that he was removed because of his status as a conservative provocateur.
Roger Stone, a political advisor to President Trump during the 2016 election cycle was suspended from Twitter as well. Stone tweeted harsh messages directed at Don Lemon, Bill Kristol, Ana Navarro, and Jake Tapper which prompted the temporary suspension. Roger Stone called into questions Twitter’s guidelines as he he and family had received death threats via Twitter, yet there had been no action taken. Further driving speculation that twitter was censoring its followers based on partisan political belief.
Twitter serves to connect its users through their network, and allows them to express themselves through their platform. It is quite troubling when there is evidence that Twitter is stifling their users expression of speech.
Project Veritas, captured Clay Haynes, a senior network engineer for Twitter on tape saying that he despised President Trump. He was also quoted on tape as saying I would be more than happy to help the Department of Justice in their little investigation by providing them with every single tweet that Trump has posted, even the ones he’s deleted. Any direct messages, any mentions.”
It should also be noted Twitter employee Bahtiyar Duysak temporarily suspended President Trump’s account on his last day. Twitter has shown clear bias against the President and also holds a partisan political bias in the censorship of its content.
Twitter’s credibility continues to wane as its user base grows. Users should expect the ability to express themselves without the threat of censorship from it’s platform.The inability to express oneself on social media trickles down to the ultimate problem of free speech. Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms where people can go to share content. However, Twitter has closed its doors to democratic discussion. We are facing a crisis of credibility in social, and going forward we have to decide whether we are going to continue to put up with social media censorship in exchange for its use.
Apparently Twitter aside, a court ruling will no longer allow President Trump to block commenters. If you look at the majority of responders to The President’s tweets, the majority should be blocked.
I’m curious as to, of course, “comparing apples to apples,” how many “celebrity” personalities of the left have been banned, from social media.