Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

August 2020 – On May 28, President Donald Trump signed an executive order advising federal agencies to bring accountability to social media companies that censor political viewpoints.

Social media platforms have long been protected under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which establishes that platforms acting as “publishers” are not liable for user content. However, Trump stated media giants like Twitter “receive an unprecedented liability shield based on the theory that they are a neutral platform, which they are not.”

In his press briefing, Trump said when social media companies suppress, edit, blacklist, and ban, they are making editorial decisions.

“In those moments,” he said, “Twitter ceases to be a neutral public platform, and they become an editor with a viewpoint.”

christianpost.com, 5/29/20