PROFESSOR TAKING TWITTER TO COURT ON DOCUMENTARY ADS

The Canadian law professor behind books and films criticizing the power of corporations is taking Twitter to court. Joel Bakan, shown, of UBC says Twitter is part of the modern public square, and a judge should not only order it to take ads promoting his documentary, but should require the government to pass a law protecting free expression on the platform. Bakan, who wrote the film and book The

Corporation in the mid-2000s and is behind their sequels, filed two cases in Ontario court Monday. One is against Twitter Canada and its U.S. parent, and the other is against the federal government. The lawsuit claims the film’s marketing firm wanted to buy promoted tweets so more people would see The New Corporation’s trailer, but Twitter refused. The claim hasn’t been tested in court.