Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said on Wednesday that the social media platform faced an “extraordinary and untenable circumstance” before it was banned President Trump
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The platform has permanently suspended Trump’s account last Friday, days after a mob of his supporters broke into the Capitol in a riot that killed five people.
The company made the decision, which has since become controversial, after determining that his posts carried “the risk of further incitement to violence”.
In a lengthy Twitter thread on Wednesday, Dorsey said the platform “faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, which forced us to focus all our actions on public safety. Offline damage as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and above all what drives our policy and enforcement. “
However, Dorsey acknowledged that having to ban an account has “real and significant consequences,” adding that “we ultimately fail to foster healthy conversation.” And a time for us to think about our activities and the environment around us. ”
That said, having to ban an account has real and significant consequences. While there are clear and obvious exceptions, I think a ban is a failure of ours to ultimately foster healthy conversation. And a time for us to think about our activities and the environment around us.
– jack (@jack) January 14, 2021
Dorsey also noted that the long-term actions of Twitter and other companies would be “destructive to the noble purpose and ideals of the open Internet.”
“Yes, we all have to take a critical look at inconsistencies in our policy and enforcement. Yes, we need to see how our service can encourage distraction and damage. Yes, we need more transparency in our moderation activities. None of this can erode a free and open global internet, ”he tweeted.
Yes, we all need to take a critical look at inconsistencies in our policies and enforcement. Yes, we need to see how our service can encourage distraction and damage. Yes, we need more transparency in our moderation activities. All this cannot erode a free and open global internet.
– jack (@jack) January 14, 2021
The CEO of Twitter further stated that he is funding an initiative called Bluesky aimed at creating an open “decentralized standard for social media,” adding that this is still in the works. However, he noted that the goal is to “disarm as much as possible” and “ensure that we all build a greater common understanding and a more peaceful existence on Earth.”
“I believe that the Internet and global public conversations are our best and most relevant way to achieve this. I also recognize that it doesn’t feel like that today. Everything we learn right now will enhance our effort and push us to be what we are: one humanity working together, ”he concluded.
I believe the internet and global public conversations are our best and most relevant method of achieving this. I also recognize that it doesn’t feel like that today. Everything we learn right now will improve our effort and push us to be what we are: one humanity working together.
– jack (@jack) January 14, 2021
Multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat, took similar actions to restrict or ban Trump from the platform after the riot.
The president hit the companies on Tuesday, saying their decisions would be a “catastrophic mistake for them.”