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Shortly after midnight, Donald Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter for inciting violence.
But the decision is criticized by freedom of expression and press expert Nils Funcke.
– I have no sympathy for Trump, but I am willing to defend his right to tweet, he says.
Over the past four years, the United States and the world have grown used to Donald Trump’s tweets. But since the night before Saturday, the president’s account @realDonaldTrump has been silent. That after Twitter decided to permanently close it from its platform.
Soon after, Trump logged into @POTUS, the official account used by presidents of the United States. In several tweets, he criticized Twitter and accused them of being allies of the Democrats and the radical left and of silencing freedom of expression.
Nils Funcke, an expert on issues of the press and freedom of expression, is now also harshly criticizing the social network for its decision to overthrow the acting US president.
– Regardless of what you think of Trump, here are the possibilities of a democratically elected president to express himself on Twitter. It’s a shame, he tells Aftonbladet.
Photo: Janerik Henriksson / TT / TT NEWS AGENCY
Nils Funcke, expert in press and freedom of expression.
It seems troublesome
It highlights that Twitter is a private company that has the right to decide on the rules of its platform and that it is not a matter of censorship, as some claim.
– Freedom of expression is between the state and individuals, and no state has closed it. So far, watch out for outrage. But it’s problematic that major players like Twitter, Facebook and Google have a lot of power over what can and can’t be said, he says.
He believes that it is reasonable to remove individual posts if they are deemed inappropriate or even criminal and possibly pause someone. But like Twitter, deciding to transfer someone forever is the wrong way to go, according to Funcke.
Employees installed
According to the Washington Post, 350 Twitter employees asked the company’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, to shut down Donald Trump. And the company justified its historic decision by saying that Trump’s latest tweets had incited violence and that there was a risk that he would continue to incite violence. It’s an unreasonable attitude, says Funcke.
– Intervene against illegal or inappropriate opinions. But to suspend someone permanently is to punish them for any future acts that they did not commit. That is not what is done in the rule of law, he says.
Photo: Alex Brandon / TT NEWS AGENCY
Trump’s Twitter account was permanently closed until Saturday night.
How do you think this decision will affect Twitter?
– It will affect the position of Twitter in circles loyal to Trump. It is not just a group of thugs that supports him, there were about 75 million people who voted for him. The best way to deal with that movement and that thought is not to silence them, it is to debate with them.
According to various media, Donald Trump already has plans to launch his own media platform.
– Increases the risk of everyone entering your bubble. Twitter remains a common square where people, Trump supporters, and anti-Trumpers can participate in each other’s arguments. If you start your own platform, only all conspiracy ideas will grow freely without counterarguments, says Nils Funcke.
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