Trump's blocking of Twitter users violates U.S. Constitution: rights institute

[Powerogue]

Isn't that what the block feature is for, though? I get that he might be abusing it but that's his problem.

[jdbond592]

Let me put it this way,


TRUMP is blocking them, not twitter. Trump is government and very much "THE" first amendment.


Twitter can block anyone but Trump shouldn't be blocking a dog.

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Isn't that what the block feature is for, though? I get that he might be abusing it but that's his problem.

As a President of united states or as a private citizen?

I mean he doesn't even own twitter and anything he tweets becomes public record. Just watch how they use his tweet against his "ban" in SCOTUS.

[DaGhostDS]

Now if he had those full account banned, that would probably not even pass but that's not what he did.



Not that i endorse anything that Trumpet ever do though.

[ati87]

That is ridiculous. It is akin to a free speech group writing MMO-C letters telling them to clear their ignore list, because it violates the rights of posters you have on ignore. Twitter is a privately held social media platform. Your "right" to free speech does not mean that Twitter has to let you tweet, or that you have to view messages from everyone who messages you.

I hate defending anything regarding Trump but this is pretty stupid.

Don't think you understand the reasoning behind the story.

Trump in essence can't block people because that would violate Free speech because he is the President.

Twitter doesn't need to uphold freedom of speech the government does

[8bithamster]

How you know America is running out of news.. they are calling a block button "supression of free speech". What's next, shall we give you the pictures of his food as well? so you can rage that because he eats eggs slightly to the left of the bacon, he is obviously hinting at an attack against China?

I mean, I hate Trump as much as the next guy, but this is just getting pathetic.

[Flarelaine]

How you know America is running out of news.. they are calling a block button "supression of free speech". What's next, shall we give you the pictures of his food as well? so you can rage that because he eats eggs slightly to the left of the bacon, he is obviously hinting at an attack against China?

I mean, I hate Trump as much as the next guy, but this is just getting pathetic.

No, this is reasonable even though it appears farfetched at first. Trump has chosen Twitter as the medium for his dialogue with his constituents. In that context, blocking certain users from participating in that dialogue is limiting their free speech.

[Blue Minuteman]

It's rather like that time Prince Reibus (that's how I always see his name anyways) was talking about how Trump wanted to amend the constitution so that he could punish protesters.

[GreenJesus]

The problem is that twitter " verifies" these flaming liberals that spam 10 tweet responses to every single one of trump's. since they are "verified" they get catapulted to the very top so it's the first thing people read as a response.

[Blue Minuteman]

The problem is that twitter " verifies" these flaming liberals that spam 10 tweet responses to every single one of trump's. since they are "verified" they get catapulted to the very top so it's the first thing people read as a response.

So you are saying we should validate the 50% of his followers that are bots?

[callipygoustp]

What an absolutely ridiculous article. What's next? Trump will be required to answer his phone every time someone wants to respond to what he said?

[Edge-]

The problem is that twitter " verifies" these flaming liberals that spam 10 tweet responses to every single one of trump's. since they are "verified" they get catapulted to the very top so it's the first thing people read as a response.

I don't believe there are any significant requirements to getting verified on Twitter - https://support.twitter.com/articles/20174631

Not sure why "flaming liberals" would get verified in higher rates than "non-flaming conservatives" (I assume that's the opposite, no?) who followed the same process.

And last few times I checked his tweets early on, I have distinct memories of many of the top tweets including those from folks like Mark Dice, who are ardent supporters of Trump, to say the very least.

Not everything is a liberal conspiracy, broskito.

[Orbitus]

I don't believe there are any significant requirements to getting verified on Twitter - https://support.twitter.com/articles/20174631

Not sure why "flaming liberals" would get verified in higher rates than "non-flaming conservatives" (I assume that's the opposite, no?) who followed the same process.

And last few times I checked his tweets early on, I have distinct memories of many of the top tweets including those from folks like Mark Dice, who are ardent supporters of Trump, to say the very least.

Not everything is a liberal conspiracy, broskito.

Apparently reality is a liberal conspiracy. Since apparently the reality lately has been that the media is reporting about him literally word for word, but to Trump and his followers that is fake news or everyone is out to get them.

[Deleted]

What a non-story. They can just log out, or create another account. He just dosent want the verified accounts spamming his feed.

[Orbitus]

What a non-story. They can just log out, or create another account. He just dosent want the verified accounts spamming his feed.

Yeah, the king snowflake doesn't like his feelers hurt.

[8bithamster]

No, this is reasonable even though it appears farfetched at first. Trump has chosen Twitter as the medium for his dialogue with his constituents. In that context, blocking certain users from participating in that dialogue is limiting their free speech.

yea.. not as if they can:

Log out and see his messages
Make a new account

Seriously.. stop overestimating Twitter. I know it's the hip thing to do, but it's not as important as people think. There is an actual world outside twitter.

[Flarelaine]

yea.. not as if they can:

Log out and see his messages
Make a new account

Seriously.. stop overestimating Twitter. I know it's the hip thing to do, but it's not as important as people think. There is an actual world outside twitter.

Logging only lets them see his tweets, not comment, so it does not help with their free speech.

And making a new account? Seriously? The article claimed these people are mostly journalists. That means they have an established online persona which they cannot just throw away. Nor should they have to.

[Ryme]

This is reaching; people have been complaining about unjust bans and blocks for years. Until we recognise that sites like Twitter, Youtube and Facebook are legally public platforms I'm not sure there's anything to be done.

Twitter isn't a public platform and so, ultimately, nothing posted there is protected.

[8bithamster]

Logging only lets them see his tweets, not comment, so it does not help with their free speech.

And making a new account? Seriously? The article claimed these people are mostly journalists. That means they have an established online persona which they cannot just throw away. Nor should they have to.

Yea.. this is just reaching at straws.. people can still post stuff on twitter, they are not suddenly incapable of posting things. They got blocked so they cannot be read by people, or mention people.

You are saying that if I block you on twitter, I am infringing on your free speech. Because shocker! Free speech doesn't take any form of "Yea but he's the president!" into account

[Ryme]

The thing is, Spicer called Trump's tweets official White House statements.

Well then, good luck to the lawyers involved!

[Flarelaine]

Yea.. this is just reaching at straws.. people can still post stuff on twitter, they are not suddenly incapable of posting things. They got blocked so they cannot be read by people, or mention people.

You are saying that if I block you on twitter, I am infringing on your free speech. Because shocker! Free speech doesn't take any form of "Yea but he's the president!" into account

I'll try more slowly.

The President of the United States has chosen Twitter as the scene of his communication with citizens.

He has excluded citizens from that dialogue.

This is wrong.

Sad!