Facebook and Twitter temporarily banned President Trump on Wednesday from addressing the vast audiences on their platform after the Capitol violence, which was fueled by many false statements, violent rhetoric, and conspiracy theories over the years from Trump.
After his supporters managed to storm the Capitol and wreak havoc on Wednesday, these two companies temporarily banned Trump from addressing via a post on the two platforms. It was probably the most courageous and aggressive action from these companies against Trump after he embraced the scale and immediacy of Twitter for rallying loyalists, castigating enemies, and spreading false statements for over a decade. Trump was locked out by Twitter for twelve hours after Capitol violence and told that any future violations would result in his permanent suspension. Twitter removed three tweets by Trump including one short video where he can be seen urging his followers for going home and repeating falsehoods regarding the presidential election’s integrity.
Capitol Violence Was A Result Of Misinformation And Incitement Of Violence
Trump’s account immediately deleted these posts because had he not done so, he would have gotten his suspension extended. Following 2 policy violations of Instagram and Facebook, both Facebook-owned announced that he cannot post anything on the platform for at least 24 hours. While many people cheered the actions of the platforms, experts stated that the action of these companies follow hawing and hemming on Trump plus his supporters for spreading misinformation while encouraging violence for years which essentially contributed to the Capitol violence on Wednesday.
Jennifer Grygiel, communications professor, Syracuse University said that Wednesday’s Capitol violence is a result of the President’s use of these platforms for spreading misinformation and propaganda. She also stated that these platforms should take some responsibility regarding their inaction. Grygiel stated that it was not just a breach into the Capitol, Trump also breached these platforms repeatedly. It is disinformation.
