Logo
Thursday, 28 March 2024
Thursday, 28 May 2020 07:00 pm

Donald Trump executive order takes aim at social media firms: draft

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to order a review of a law that has long protected Twitter, Facebook and Alphabet’s Google from being responsible for the material posted by their users, according to a draft executive order and a source familiar with the situation.

newsImage
 

News of the order comes after Trump threatened to shut down websites he accused of stifling conservative voices. It follows a dispute with Twitter after the company decided to tag Trump’s tweets about unsubstantiated claims of fraud in mail-in voting with a warning prompting readers to fact-check the posts.

The order, a draft copy of which was seen by Reuters, could change before it is finalized. On Wednesday, officials said Trump will sign an executive order on social media companies on Thursday. It was not, however, listed on Trump’s official schedule for Thursday released by the White House.

The White House, Facebook and Twitter declined comment. Google’s video service YouTube did not immediately comment.

Twitter’s shares were down over 4 percent in pre-market trade on Thursday. Facebook fell nearly 2 percent and Google was down 1 percent.

Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey said on the company’s website late Wednesday that the president’s tweets “may mislead people into thinking they don’t need to register to get a ballot. Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves.”

Steve DelBianco, president of NetChoice, a trade group that counts Twitter, Facebook and Google among its members, said “The president is trampling the first amendment by threatening the fundamental free speech rights of social media platforms.”

The administration’s move “emboldens foreign governments to control online expression,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

Read here


Neha Pandey

Aware of her elements, Neha writes the best articles across industries including electronics & semiconductors, automotive & transportation and food & beverages. Being from the finance background she has the ability to understand the dynamics of every industry and analyze the news updates to form insightful articles. Neha is an energetic person interested in music, travel, and entertainment. Since past 5 years, she written extensively on sectors like technology, finance and healthcare.


Smarter Decisions with Smart News

Smart Market News is committed to getting its readers the latest updates and insights on industries that help in making “smarter” business decisions. With insights and inputs from corporate decision makers, we bring you the stories of adopting innovative solutions and strategies that have been changing the world. Our editorial insights on products, solutions, companies, and adoption of best practices not only help in understanding the markets better, but also prove to be a complete package for your information needs.

Subscribe to our newsletter
Get the latest in your inbox weekly Sign up for the fully charged newsletter
© The News and Media Division of The Insight Partners 2024 | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy