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In the aftermath of the 2021 insurrection at the US Capitol, former President Donald Trump faced bans from major social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook due to his dissemination of false information. Despite unsuccessful attempts to launch his own social media ventures, Trump is now opting for legal recourse.
At a press conference hosted at one of his golf clubs, Trump revealed his decision to sue Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for what he considers to be “unlawful censorship” resulting from his removal from their platforms. The lawsuit is being supported by the America First Policy Institute, an organization aligned with Trump’s ideologies.
The legal complaint alleges that the platforms have crossed ethical boundaries by resorting to censorship influenced by potential legislative actions, misguided dependence on Section 230.
Former President Trump is filing lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter and Google, claiming he’s been wrongfully censored following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters.NPR
For context, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields social media platforms from legal accountability regarding user-generated content. Trump frequently targeted Section 230 during his presidency but did not succeed in amending or repealing it.
Representatives from Twitter and Facebook have refrained from commenting on the issue at this time.
