Trump has threatened to shut down social media platforms after Twitter took action against his fake tweets
United States:
President Donald Trump’s threat to shut down social media companies after Twitter called two of his tweets misleading poses a new challenge for platforms as they struggle to cope with political disinformation during a toxic election campaign .
Twitter targeted tweets on Tuesday in which the president said postal voting would lead to fraud and a “rigged election” in November, the first time the platform has placed a warning label on comments by Trump.
President’s Angry Response and Threatening to “Strongly Regulate” or “Close” Social Media Businesses Unravel the Riddle of Twitter and Other Platforms, said Steven Livingston, Director of the Data Institute , democracy and politics at George Washington University.
Livingston said he expects Twitter to strictly enforce its disinformation policies, dealing only with specific issues such as the electoral process and the coronavirus pandemic.
The attacks by Trump and his supporters have put “so much pressure (on Twitter) and they are fading at the idea of taking the next step” on combating political disinformation, said Livingston.
“They are trapped in a dilemma and do not know where to go.”
Even though Twitter is committed to fostering “healthy conversation” by filtering out hoaxes and toxic content, Livingston said the business model of social platforms suggests otherwise.
“The platforms know very well that they are accentuating extremism,” he said. “Extremism grabs attention and allows them to sell more advertising, and that’s the whole point of the game.”
Asked about Twitter’s fact-checking in an interview on Fox News, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his social network had a different policy.
“I firmly believe that Facebook should not be the arbiter of the truth of everything people say online,” said Zuckerberg in an excerpt from the interview published online by Fox.
“I think, in general, private companies, especially these platform companies, should not be able to do this.”
The researcher and professor at the University of Texas on social networks, Samuel Woolley, nevertheless welcomed what he called “a very bold decision by Twitter” in the face of political pressure.
“Twitter will face a lot of backlash and whether they can handle it remains to be seen,” said Woolley.
Karen Kornbluh, head of the digital innovation and democracy initiative at the German Marshall Fund in the United States, said that Twitter’s action on content after it goes viral “could be a case of closing the barn door after the horse’s exit – but at least it communicates standards of acceptable activity on the platform site and that no one is completely exempt. ”
Claims of bias, redux
The latest clash between Trump and Twitter comes when the President and his supporters complain about what he calls the prejudices of Internet companies against the Conservatives – despite his extensive social networks – and threaten to use anti-trust or anti-trust measures. other regulatory efforts against businesses.
Daniel Kreiss, professor and researcher at the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life at the University of North Carolina, said that Twitter “had made the right choice” by applying its policy on electoral misinformation without entering the domain more off political discourse or other subjects. as the president’s plot murder comments this week against a television reporter.
“Twitter draws a line in the sand on protecting electoral integrity, saying it trumps anyone’s right to use the platform as they wish,” said Kreiss.
“I think they are well justified. They have defined clear values and a transparent policy.”
Kreiss said the measured approach could allow Twitter to navigate a toxic election campaign without getting bogged down in political debate, but noted that “they will be criticized from any direction.”
Michelle Amazeen, professor of political communication at Boston University, called Twitter’s decision to “take a much-needed step forward”, but questioned the impact it would have on disinformation on the platform.
“Will Twitter users now believe that if there is no tag, Trump’s tweet is correct? Research suggests they will,” she said.
Amazeen said that Twitter’s actions still fail to establish the same types of standards that exist in most media.
“Twitter is not a reliable source of legitimate news,” she said. “Studies indicate that people who rely on social media for their information are more likely to be misinformed than people who use traditional sources of information.”
As for Trump’s threats, legal experts say Trump has distorted the US constitution’s free speech guarantees that protect against government-led controls.
“Thank goodness the first amendment prevents me or any other elected official from closing the speech platforms,” tweeted Democratic MP Ted Lieu.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
