Welcome back to ThatPoliticalKid! In today’s blog, I am going to analyze the latest news in regards to the Twitter debate.
Let’s start with the background: Just a few days ago, George Floyd, an African American man, died after being placed in a chokehold for several minutes by a Minnesota police officer. Outraged at the treatment of the individual, Americans across the country protested for the officer to be taken into custody, and they advocated on behalf of the victim. Regardless of your political beliefs or party, George Floyd should be alive today.
When the protests in Minneapolis and in St. Paul became violent, the President got involved.
He tweeted, “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”
Soon after, Twitter flagged Trump’s tweet, citing it for “violence,” but kept it available to the public with this message: “This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.“
What does that mean? The tweet is “violent,” but should be “in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.“ The guidelines are a bit vague. I’m sure there will be more to this story.
Trump expressed interest in overturning a 1996 law that gives social media/website users a pass on fact-checking. Twitter believes that the law “protects American innovation and freedom of expression, and it’s underpinned by democratic values.”
Thanks for reading, and I hope you and your families continue to stay safe!
ThatPoliticalKid
Credits:
Skimm Magazine https://www.theskimm.com/archive/2020-05-27