afaqs! news bureau
Social Media

Trump got into a tiff with Twitter because it fact-checked his tweet

He is unhappy with Twitter about this so he signed an executive order to lift protections that keeps people from suing social media companies.

US President Donald Trump loved Twitter more than any other platform, online or offline, to voice his opinion on anything and everything. That was until Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

Trump got into a tiff with Twitter because it fact-checked his tweet

Twitter for the first time refuted the President's tweet which claimed "... Mail-in ballots will be anything less than less than substantially fraudulent."

Below POTUS' tweet was a blue link that had an exclamation mark in a circle and said: "Get the facts about mail-in ballots". Click on the link and you're redirected to a list of points and a CNN story which say the claims are inaccurate.

President Trump did not take it well and responded with claims of free speech being stifled.

On May 28, 2020, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended the move and said, "Please leave our employees out of this." He said Twitter will continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally and will admit to any mistakes it makes.

In response, the President signed an executive order that aims to remove restrictions which keep people from using social media companies. The order contains complaints about how these companies stifle free speech. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects these companies.

According to a New York Times report on May 29, 2020, "A 1996 law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, essentially bars people from suing providers of an “interactive computer service” for libel if users post defamatory messages on their platforms."

Trump got into a tiff with Twitter because it fact-checked his tweet

But, this tiff was far from over. On May 29, 2020, Twitter placed a warning against one of President Trump's tweet because it glorified violence; his tweet was regarding the violence raging in Minneapolis which was sparked from protests against racial discrimination in the United States; Derek Chauvin, a cop was seen in a video pressing his knee on the kneck unarmed African American George Lloyd for five minutes who later died leading to widespread protests in the United States.

However, the tech giant did not remove the tweet and said it is in the public's best interests for the tweet to remain accessible.

And on the same day, the President tweeted 'Revoke 230!', the very law that prevents companies like Twitter from being sued. We wait to see how this ends.

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com