Trump social media censorship claim gains traction

There is little evidence to back Donald Trump’s claim that social media firms silence or censor conservatives, but the notion has gathered widespread acceptance among his considerable following.

The US president returned to the topic on Friday with a tweet saying: “Social media giants are silencing millions of people ... People have to figure out what is real, and what is not, without censorship!”

The comments marked the second time in a week Trump has attacked tech platforms over alleged political bias.

Days earlier, he tweeted that “social media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump administration, we won’t let that happen”.

Both Twitter and Facebook deny bias in policing their platforms. Still, a Pew Research Centre survey in June found 43% of Americans think major technology firms support the views of liberals over conservatives, and 72% believe social media platforms censor opposing political views.

Among Republicans and conservative independents, 85% said they think social media sites intentionally censor political viewpoints, it found.

The blocking of Alex Jones, who operates the conspiracy theory site Infowars, has given ammunition to those claiming motivations behind bans. –