AFTER TRUMP’S THREAT, TWITTER CEO SAYS LEAVE OUR ‘EMPLOYEES OUT’ OF SPAT >p7
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump was set to sign an executive order on Thursday that would roll back immunity enjoyed by social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook for content posted on their websites.
“This will be a Big Day for Social Media and FAIRNESS!” he tweeted on Thursday.
Trump has been hitting out against Twitter since Tuesday when it deployed a fact-check tool on two linked posts by him on mail-in ballots. “Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed,” said the tweet that was fact-checked.
“Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen,” Trump raged later, accusing the platform of interfering in the upcoming presidential election. “We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen,” he wrote.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defended the fact-checking action, vowing to continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections. “Fact check: there is someone ultimately accountable for our actions as a company, and that’s me. Please leave our employees out of this...And we will admit to and own any mistakes we make,” tweeted Dorsey.