Twitter released a statement Friday after a number of Twitter users said the January 2 tweet threatening nuclear war violated Twitter's revised Terms of Service, launching a campaign to stomp out violent threats on their platform, often by shutting down offending accounts.
"There's been a lot of discussion about political figures and world leaders on Twitter, and we want to share our stance," Twitter stated, adding that it "is here to serve and help advance the global, public conversation. Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society."
Twitter said shutting down Trump's account after the controversial post "would hide important information people should be able to see and debate." Further, Twitter stated that a decision to shut down an account controlled by a country's leader "would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions."
During a speech that Kim Jong-un gave on New Year's Day, he warned the US that North Korea's nuclear forces have been "completed," and his launch button was always in reach. The next day, Trump tweeted in response.
Some on Twitter have pointed out what they see as an alleged double-standard being perpetrated.
Trump's tweet about the US' nuclear arsenal has now received over 485,000 'Likes' and more than 190,000 retweets.
Comment: Imagine if those same users spent that energy on decrying the actual issue at hand being the US's tyrannical behaviour around the world. And anyway, Twitter is right to let leaders spew their unedited thoughts since they can provide us with valuable insight into influential people and how they really think:
'Mine's bigger', Trump dares Kim Jong-un to compare nuclear buttons
Another actual problem is that the social media giants are already lackeys of the corrupt western governments and are actively trying to control the public discourse:
- Twitter deletes account of imprisoned Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi
- US propaganda outlet Radio Free Europe reportedly behind RT Facebook ban
- Twitter censors #WhichHillary hashtag, shows control Hillary Clinton has over corporate media
- State censorship: Twitter admits it buried #PodestaEmail, DNC tweets ahead of presidential election
- Social media: Can we take back power from the tech giants and their government overlords?
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