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| Shealah Craighead/White House |
“Today, I am signing an Executive Order to protect and uphold the free speech and rights of the American people,” Trump said in the Oval Office Thursday.
Under current law, social media companies like Twitter and Facebook are protected from lawsuits that their users post, claiming that they are a natural platform. The legislation has been in place for more than two decades.
“Currently, social media giants like Twitter receive an unprecedented liability shield, based on the theory that they’re a neutral platform — which they’re not — not an editor with a viewpoint. My executive order calls for new regulations under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to make it that social media companies that engage in censoring or any political conduct will not be able to keep their liability shield.” “That’s a big deal.”
The order would allow regulators to claim free speech is censored by internet platforms when they delete accounts or posts from users.
“The choices that Twitter makes when it chooses to suppress, edit, blacklist, shadow, ban are editorial decisions, pure and simple,” Trump said. “They’re editorial decisions. In those moments, Twitter ceases to be a neutral public platform and they become an editor with a viewpoint, and I think we can say that about others also — whether you’re looking at Google, whether you’re looking at Facebook and perhaps others.”
Attorney General William Barr added that social media companies lose their liability protections when they start to editorialize and offer comments on user content. He said the White House is working on legislation and litigation on the topic, having the president saying that it may amend of dismantle Section 230.
When asked about legal problems Trump said, “I guess it’s going to be challenged in court, but what isn’t?”
This is a developing story and may be updated. Check back for updates.