Twitter Inc Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on Wednesday that banning U.S. President Donald Trump from Twitter was the “right decision” but added the ban sets a dangerous precedent.
Washington:
"Having to take these actions fragment the public conversation. They divide us. They limit the potential for clarification, redemption, and learning. And sets a precedent I feel is dangerous: the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation", Dorsey said in a tweet.
The San Francisco-based social media company suspended Trump’s account, which had 88 million followers, due to the risk of further violence following the storming of the US Capitol.
The move drew criticism from some Republicans for quelling the president’s right to free speech, while European Union Commissioner Thierry Breton said the past week’s events likely heralded a new era of heavier official control.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose relations with Trump have been frosty, criticized Twitter’s ban and warned through a spokesman that legislators, not private companies, should decide on potential curbs to free expression.
Other social media platforms, including Facebook, have issued similar bans on Trump.
Apple Inc, Alphabet and Amazon.com Inc also suspended Parler, a social network favoured by many Trump supporters, from their app stores and Web-hosting services, effectively making the service inaccessible.
Conversations