by Annika Inampudi ’21, Commentary Editor

Image courtesy of thebakerorange.com

The biggest stereotype of Americans is that we’re expressive. We’re used to saying what we want, without any repercussions. From our snide remarks about our DMVs to our powerful critiques of American institutions, Americans are no stranger to the concept of free speech. It’s often claimed to be one of the fundamental tenets of  American democracy. Ben Franklin once called it “a principal pillar of a free government.” John Adams regarded freedom of the press as “essential to the security of the state.” Yet recently, this foundational American mechanism has been called into question. Following the events of the January 6th Capitol insurrection, many social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, and most notably, Twitter) banned President Donald Trump from their platforms. Was this a restriction of our President’s freedom of speech? By banning Trump’s Twitter, are we solving the problem, or making it worse?

The decision to ban Trump from social media wasn’t impulsive. Since the onset of his presidency, Trump has used his Twitter account to spread misinformation and lies. Out of Trump’s top 100 posts on the platform, a whopping 36 contained election-related misinformation. These 36 tweets collectively received 22.6 million likes and 3.9 million retweets, according to the Trump Twitter Archive. Not only has Trump’s Twitter account been used to spread outright lies, but also to delegitimize information about the election, coronavirus, and racial justice protests. According to an analysis done by CNBC, Trump has used the phrase “Fake News” 900 times across his tweet history. These claims have far reaching consequences. They have continuously fostered a sense of distrust between Americans and their government. According to Kelly Born, executive director of the Cyber Policy Center at Stanford University, they contribute to everything from the “heightening of tensions between these groups to really exacerbating the animosity to actually physically organizing, with people talking about bringing zip ties and rope and where to go and when.”’

The conservative response to shutting down Trump’s social media was immediate. Donald Trump Jr. tweeted “Free Speech Is Under Attack! Censorship is happening like NEVER before! Don’t let them silence us. Sign up at http://DONJR.COM to stay connected!”

So, is this a violation of Trump’s first amendment rights?

The short answer is no. The first amendment only prohibits the government from suppressing free speech—it says nothing about private companies. In other words, you don’t have a Constitutional right to tweet.

Twitter and Facebook played a huge role in getting Trump elected in the first place. Social media apps promote virality; Facebook and Twitter “win” when you interact with a post. And controversy sells. So, whenever Trump said something bold and baseless, it was destined to go viral. And the only way to beat your last post is to say something more bold, more baseless. It’s more than giving Trump a platform; the very essence of social media encouraged Trump’s actions. 

This idea goes beyond Trump. Social media and the ideal of the open Internet have fostered the growth of huge communities of white supremacists and neo-Nazis. A 2016 internal research found that 64% of all individuals in extremist groups joined based on a suggestion from Facebook. According to Forbes, the platform does not censor a myriad of alt-right Facebook groups that continue to disseminate misinformation. Whichever way you slice it, these companies will never fully erase these groups from the Internet, because they profit off of the continued ad revenue given to them by white supremacists. And these white supremacists will continue to recruit and spread hate, even after Trump leaves the platform. 

In his thread on the subject, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey mentioned the ban will be “be destructive to the noble purpose and ideals of the open internet. A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same.” Although Dorsey just wants to protect Twitter’s right to keep misinformation on its platform, he’s right that the ban exposes the sheer power of social media platforms. Twitter just proved that it could silence one of the world’s most powerful leaders. It shouldn’t have that ability. Suspending a president creates a dangerous precedent. If abused, Twitter could do much more harm than good. 

Our lawmakers need to catch up with the times. We cannot elect CEOs, and so they should not make decisions about the livelihoods of American citizens. Legislative action is required to prevent groups from spreading misinformation. 

The Twitter ban is largely good, though. According to the Washington Post, online misinformation dropped 73% in the week since Trump was banned from Twitter. The use of the hashtag #FightForTrump dropped 95%. But Twitter’s actions are just scratching the surface. The problem of white supremacy is much larger than Trump. None of the social media apps have explained their efforts to deplatform other powerful conservatives that use their accounts to spread misinformation. And, Trump has mentioned considering the alt-right social media app, Parler. This cycle of misinformation, lies, and white supremacy will continue to expand if legal action is not pursued. 

Americans are talkative; it’s in our culture. However, let’s use our voices to denounce hatred, not uplift it.