Donald Trump, free speech, first amendment, Section 230, law, social media, social networking are some of the topics covered in this article.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
It's no surprise that the social media company is fighting the former President's lawsuit. According to the report, the suit threatens the company's First Amendment free speech rights. The social network noted that it was a private company that doesn't have to host speech it doesn't like, and that Trump repeatedly violated the rules he agreed to when he used the service. The principles of constitutional law would be challenged by a forced ban reversal.
Threats to a peaceful White House transition as well as statements that could foster "further violence" were some of the arguments that were made by the company. The company banned Trump after he continued to post misleading messages.
John Coale believes that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act equates to a subsidy that forces it to honor the First Amendment like the government does. The Justice Department objected to the interpretation that Section 230 is only meant to protect against liability, not regulate the speech of officials like the ex- President.
Trump is not waiting for social networks to return to normal. He launched Truth Social to help conservatives who feel silenced by tech companies. Trump will have little choice but to give up his platform if the dismissal request is successful.
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