Trump announces suits against Facebook, Twitter and Google, claiming bias

Published July 7, 2021
Former United States president Donald Trump walks on stage during a rally at the Sarasota Fairgrounds in Florida, US on Saturday. — AP/File
Former United States president Donald Trump walks on stage during a rally at the Sarasota Fairgrounds in Florida, US on Saturday. — AP/File

Former United States president Donald Trump announced on Wednesday he is filing suits against three of the country’s biggest tech companies: Facebook, Twitter and Google, as well as their CEOs.

Trump said he was serving as lead plaintiff in the class-action suits, claiming he has been wrongfully censored by the companies.

“We’re demanding an end to the shadow-banning, a stop to the silencing and a stop to the blacklisting, banishing and cancelling that you know so well,” Trump said at a news conference at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course.

The suits were filed in US District Court for Florida’s southern district.

Trump was suspended from Twitter and Facebook after his followers stormed the Capitol building on Jan 6. The companies cited concerns that he would incite further violence. Currently, he can no longer post on either platform.

Read: A farewell to @realDonaldTrump, gone after 57,000 tweets

Nonetheless, Trump has continued to spread lies about the 2020 election, baselessly claiming that he won, even though state and local election officials, his own attorney general and numerous judges, including some he appointed, have said there is no evidence of the mass voter fraud he alleges.

Under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, internet companies are generally exempt from liability for the material that users post. The law, which provides a legal “safe harbour” for internet companies, also allows social media platforms to moderate their services by removing posts that, for instance, are obscene or violate the services’ own standards, so long as they are acting in “good faith”.

But Trump and other politicians have long argued that Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms have abused that protection and should lose their immunity — or at least have to earn it by satisfying requirements set by the government.

Facebook, Google and Twitter all declined comment on Wednesday.

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.