Silicon Valley’s moves to expel President Trump from social media represent a display of power that the companies have avoided doing for nearly four years. Now Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and others to be aware of the future.
In a day or two, Twitter and Facebook – Mgr. Trump’s main social media megaphones – took action to harass the personal accounts of the president or the online communities dedicated to him, citing rules banning content that incites violence. Companies such as Snap Inc. and Reddit Inc.
Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Google Alphabet Inc. also steps to Parler, a social media app and website that has become popular among conservatives – and which some protesters used to incite Wednesday’s attack at the U.S. Capitol, according to views screens viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The actions against Mr. Trump and Parler show a clearer impact than the companies ’influence on online conversation – and the political nature of their decisions. While many lamented, the president and some of his supporters dismissed others as “censorship”, and the motions risked driving some use in a way that could, especially for Twitter, reshape their businesses. It also reveals the political nature of how they determine what content will be removed, what content they allow and what they promote.
“Right or wrong, they made a political decision,” said Jonathon Hauenschild, director of the communications and technology executive group for the American Council for the Legislative Commerce, a nonprofit conservative group on the companies ’movements. The tech giants were first noticed. Now the attention has come, ”he said.