German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said on Jan. 11 that Merkel considers the act of blocking the account of incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump on Twitter and other social networking platforms to be “problematic” because online platform owners cannot determine the right to freedom of expression enjoyed by others.
Seibert said at the press conference that “the fundamental right to freedom of expression is a fundamental right of vital importance, and this fundamental right can be interfered with, but by law, within the framework determined by the legislature, not by the decision of the management of the social media platforms.” He added, “That is why the prime minister considers the permanent closure of the U.S. president’s account on the social network ‘problematic.'” Earlier, in response to the storming of Congress in Washington, D.C., on June 6, Merkel said on July 7 that she, like everyone else, had seen “disturbing” images of the U.S. Capitol being stormed, which made her feel “both angry and sad.
Since the impact on Congress, according to the news site Axios statistics, 13 social media platforms have announced to block or restrict Trump’s account and its related content, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, YouTube and other well-known global Internet giants. In response, Trump accused Twitter of “banning free speech” on the 8th, and said his administration “is in talks with multiple other platforms and will make a major announcement soon.” The tweets, which were posted through the official account of the U.S. president, were quickly deleted by Twitter.
In addition, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told the media on Monday that he was “uncomfortable” with the social media platform’s decision. He believes that blocking political figures on social networks, which have become “a public space”, can cause problems because “there are no criteria clearly defined by law”.
Social media companies have blocked the account of U.S. President Donald Trump on the grounds that his messages threaten democracy and incite hatred and violence,” EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on political news site Politico. In doing so, they have recognized their responsibility, obligation and means to prevent the spread of illegal viral content. They can no longer hide their responsibility to society by providing hosting services.” He argues that “the dogma underpinning (the Communications Regulatory Act’s) Section 230 – the U.S. legislation that provides social media companies with immunity from civil liability for content posted by their users – has collapsed.”
According to Breton, “The fact that a CEO can pull the plug on the President of the United States’ speakers without any checks and balances is baffling. It not only confirms the power of these platforms, but it also shows a profound weakness in the way our society is organized in the digital space.” He stressed that “it is more evident than ever these days that we cannot stand by and rely on the goodwill of these platforms or artistic interpretations of the law. We need to set the rules of the game and organize the digital space with clear rights, obligations and safeguards. We need to restore trust in the digital space. This is a matter of survival for our democracies in the 21st century.”
According to Breton, “That’s why the new EU and U.S. administrations, as allies in the free world, should join forces and begin a constructive dialogue that will lead to globally agreed principles. The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which has been carefully designed to answer all of these considerations at the continental level, can help pave the way for a new global approach to online platforms, one that serves the general interest of our society. By setting standards and clarifying rules, it has the potential to become the most important democratic reform serving future generations.”
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