Twitter’s ban on Trump strips US of ‘moral high ground’ in criticizing others on freedom of speech: observers

[Surya 1]

Social media's permanent silencing of US President Donald Trump again exposed the country's double standards, and stripped Washington's "moral high ground" in lecturing other nations about "freedom of speech," Chinese observers said, adding that the recent development on the presidential transition, including the storming of Capitol hill, has taught the US a lesson: freedom of speech has boundaries.

Using the excuse of a potential risk of further incitement of violence, social media platforms, Twitter announced the permanent suspension of Trump's accounts.

Google also followed suit. Shortly after Twitter announced on Friday to suspend Trump's account, Google shared that they were removing Parler, a conservative social media app, from their Play Store immediately, saying they were suspending the app until the developers committed to a moderation and enforcement policy that could handle objectionable content on the platform.

It is not only the accounts of Trump that have been suspended. Twitter also removed the accounts of Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser who has received a presidential pardon; and pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, for breaching policies that ban users from engaging in "coordinated activity" that results in online and real-world harm.

In a press statement released on Friday evening, Trump responded to his suspensions by saying "Twitter has gone further and further in banning free speech."

The incident has fully exposed the US' double standards when it spares no efforts to criticize other nations' "violations of free speech," whilst taking the drastic move to the restrict the speech of its own president, Li Haidong, professor at the Institute of International Relations, China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Saturday.

He said such blatant double standards stripped the US of its "moral high-ground" when it intends to bellow about other nations' "violations of freedom of speech."

China has long been devoted to regulating harmful content, such as violence, pornography and personal attacks on its internet. Yet such a move has fallen into the US muzzle of attacking China for "restricting freedom of speech."

"Maybe it is only until today, the US has learned the lesson that freedom of speech is not without limits. No government can have an unregulated internet," Shen Yi from the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, told the Global Times.

Yet he said the US has a long way to go regarding internet regulation. "We regulated the internet to provide a healthy online environment for the public; but US platforms started an internet purge because those platforms are tilting toward certain political parties, and some speeches are not in accordance with the political interests they upheld."

Li noted that after the incident, the US should not treat itself as special and perfect, differentiating itself from every country in the world. “It has fallen to a laughing stock for the world to see.”

The suspension of Trump and his followers' account also stirred waves of mocking on the Chinese internet. The hashtag "Twitter announced permanent suspension of Trump's account" has generated over 400 million views as of press time.

"We really have witnessed history; witnessed the true colors of the US political system and its double standards," said one Sina Weibo user.

Twitter’s ban on Trump strips US of ‘moral high ground’ in criticizing others on freedom of speech: observers - Global Times

www.globaltimes.cn

But China is on a very high moral ground with ban on Twitter itself.

 

[CAPRICORN-88]

But China is on a very high moral ground with ban on Twitter itself.

Defending the indefensible US hypocrisy?

The one by China is about National Security and compliance of China domestic law.

Tweeters has ban Trump because in his tweets, he is found to have indirectly promoted insurrection in Capitol Hill.
That is why since 1968, 20,000 US National Guards are standing guard inside Capitol Hill Building itself for the first time.

Tweeters, facebook, etc were told to filter such contents on separatism, terrorism,
insurrection, etc in Xinjiang. They refused citing guman rights and soon a disinformation campaign against China was launched in USA and its Western allies. This is double standard.

Why did India ban Tik Tok? Did Tik Tok broke any law in India?

 

[Beast]

@That Guy

I give you major kudos for being so patient

Of cos, u need to thank him. Cos both of you are in the same cahoots of defending selective policy of American freedom.

But China is on a very high moral ground with ban on Twitter itself.

China never claim we are defender of human right and free media. But american claim they are freedom fighter but only selective on certain countries that obey US. See the ironic..

China policy is consistent while US one is flip flop and everyday changesm

 

[KAL-EL]

Of cos, u need to thank him. Cos both of you are in the same cahoots of defending selective policy of American freedom

interesting.. I wasn’t aware you had the ability to read others thoughts.

Actually, I was Commending him on his patience, dealing with people like you who constantly move the goalpost to fit your narrative.

I personally don’t think it’s worth it, but he does, and I commend him for it.

Now please go put on your big boy pants. Bye bye now

 

[bshifter]

But China is on a very high moral ground with ban on Twitter itself.

And why wouldn't China be on the moral high ground with the Twitter, Facebook and Google ban? These platforms were not banned from the beginning, they were only banned after breaking Chinese law. Either comply with the law or get out. TikTok and other Chinese apps didn't break any Indian law but were all banned. Did we cry about it like what you are doing here? NO, we just accept it.

Why can the Chinese criticize these big US tech companies banning Trump? Because the US, western world and idiots like you enjoy referring to the lack of freedom of speech in China. Now that US is throwing this freedom out of the window you are defending America by telling China you don't have the moral high ground to criticize America?

 

[Type59]

If he wasn't president of United States, he would have been banned years ago. The amount of lies he wrote on Twitter over four years, led to calls for him to be banned from his opponents (many times).

Twitter said, previously, important for future historians to analyse the tweets, because from the president. Which I agreed with Twitter policy.

 

[Beast]

And why wouldn't China be on the moral high ground with the Twitter, Facebook and Google ban? These platforms were not banned from the beginning, they were only banned after breaking Chinese law. Either comply with the law or get out. TikTok and other Chinese apps didn't break any Indian law but were all banned. Did we cry about it like what you are doing here? NO, we just accept it.

Why can the Chinese criticize these big US tech companies banning Trump? Because the US, western world and idiots like you enjoy referring to the lack of freedom of speech in China. Now that US is throwing this freedom out of the window you are defending America by telling China you don't have the moral high ground to criticize America?

Then selective people like @Thatguy will claim it's private company decision to ban freedom of speech. US Federal has zero decision in those making.

Just like how few lowlife american soldiers torture Iraq prisoners of war or guantanamo prisoners, nothing to do with defense minster donald rumsfield or american policy.

The typical excuse of when things goes wrong. All blame will shift to lower level to make the people of top decision making looks good.

No one shall sacrifice their live for such jerk organisation.

 

[Get Ya Wig Split]

i’m going to miss my boy Trump on twitter

@Feng Leng We all can't deny the fact that his dance moves are lit af

 

[bshifter]

Then selective people like @Thatguy will claim it's private company decision to ban freedom of speech. US Federal has zero decision in those making.

Just like how few lowlife american soldiers torture Iraq prisoners of war or guantanamo prisoners, nothing to do with defense minster donald rumsfield or american policy.

The typical excuse of when things goes wrong. All blame will shift to lower level to make the people of top decision making looks good.

No one shall sacrifice their live for such jerk organisation.

They cannot fool the world. It's a good thing it's not just China and Chinese diaspora pointing our fingers at America. The whole world, westerners in Europe and Indians are sharing the same sentiment too. I posted few twitter posts from a couple of Indians saying they need alternatives to these US big tech, cannot have these corporations influence Indian elections, silence Indian politicians. Europeans are voicing their concerns too and wish they don't have to rely on these US big tech. So in the end China was right all along, we now have big IT companies totally independent to US bans on social media and video platforms.

 

[TaiShang]

But China is on a very high moral ground with ban on Twitter itself.

Why leave billion Dollar strategic sector to foreigners?

 

[That Guy]

It is kind of Ironic considering Trump wanted to ban WeChat that would have disconnected a lot of Chinese nationals and Chinese-Americans from their family back in China.



A lot of people are actually starting to move over to Telegram particularly following Whatsapp's ToS changes.

I heard that Trump and his followers are on Telegram now.










They may be private companies but their continual existence is owed to the special liability protection given to them by the US government in the form of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 which states:

(c) Protection for “Good Samaritan” blocking and screening of offensive material​

(1) Treatment of publisher or speaker​

No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.​

(2) Civil liability​

No provider or user of an interactive computer serviceshall be held liable on account of—​

​

(A) any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected;​

​

or​

​

(B) any action taken to enable or make available to information content providers or others the technical means to restrict access to material described in paragraph (1).​

47 U.S. Code § 230 - Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material​

Without that protection afforded to it by the US government Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc... couldn't continue to operate as businesses at least not in their current format.



I completely agree with you on this.

It's not that expensive either and would be a HUGE benefit to Pakistan not just in terms of data protection of Pakistani citizens private/personal info but would give us expertise and a product we can extend to others (ex. Turkey).

All foreign social media needs to be banned now.

There's literally no benefit to them being allowed access to Pakistan particularly considering anti-Pakistan liberal fanatics and radical Hindu terrorists use it to spread disinformation and vice among our populace.

And? They're still independent from the government. That's like saying you're a part of government just because the government has passed laws making it illegal to murder you.

Of cos, u need to thank him. Cos both of you are in the same cahoots of defending selective policy of American freedom.

Bro, if I was wrong, you'd actually be able to properly counter what I said, and answer my basic enquiries, which so far you've refused to do.

I'm simply calling a spade a spade. You can think whatever you want.

 

[striver44]

We need to launch our own social media platform and ban all yankee platforms. problem solved.

You'll need capital