Twitter Confirms Trump Could Be Banned After Inauguration Day For Repeated Violations
Jack BrewsterForbes Staff
Business
I'm a news reporter for Forbes.
TOPLINE
Warning labels and fact checks have not stopped President Trump from continuing to spread conspiracy theories and use violent rhetoric on Twitter, but after Inauguration Day, those kinds of tweets could land the outgoing president in hot water, and eventually cause him to be banned by the platform, a Twitter spokesperson told Forbes Thursday.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 03: President Donald Trump speaks about the election after presenting the ... [+]
GETTY IMAGESKEY FACTS
Trump is currently shielded by Twitter’s “World Leaders policy,” which means the social media company will in most cases choose to leave up a tweet that breaks its rules, a policy established on the principle that most people would like to see what their heads of state are saying.
This policy has allowed Trump to spread conspiracy theories about issues such as Covid-19 and the election, and tweet violent threats—such as “when the looting starts, the shooting starts!” as he did back in June—without fear of punishment.
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After noon on January 20, Trump will no longer fall under Twitter’s policy for world leaders, and the former president will have to follow the same guidelines as regular citizens, a Twitter spokesperson confirmed to Forbes on Thursday.
This means Trump could face increasingly severe punishment if he continues to break Twitter rules until he is banned from the platform entirely, though it would take multiple infractions for that to happen.
A first time offense typically results in Twitter blocking the user from using their account until they delete the tweet, while a second violation can result in a temporary freeze on the user’s account, and so forth (the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., was restricted from using the platform for 12 hours after he tweeted out a false claim about hydroxychloroquine and Covid-19 in July.)
A Twitter spokesperson—who spoke to Forbes on the condition of anonymity—said it does not have “special rules” for Trump, and would not discuss whether the company had internal deliberations about what would happen if it had to ban the president once he leaves office.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Twitter does not have a specific limit on the number of times a user can break its rule before it bans the user entirely, and weighs many factors when deciding how to enforce its rules.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
On Tuesday, Trump threatened to veto a defense spending bill if Congress does not act to repeal Section 230, a legal shield for Big Tech platforms, prompting speculation the president was concerned about a ban by Twitter or other social media sites. Section 230 gives social media platforms the power to moderate content in “good faith,” and protects them from lawsuits relating to speech on their site.
KEY BACKGROUND
Even before he launched a career in politics, Trump used Twitter as his megaphone. Since joining Twitter in 2009, Trump has tweeted more than 58,000 times. In office, the platform has allowed the president to bypass the media and reach millions of users at a moment’s notice. After Election Day, Trump flooded the platform with baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud and false claims that he won the election. “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!” Trump tweeted on November 7, hours before all major networks called the election for President-elect Joe Biden. Twitter has fact-checked most of the president’s false tweets, even as they rack up hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of interactions. However, studies have shown some of Twitter’s actions have slowed the spread of conspiracy theories.
BIG NUMBER
50%. That’s the percentage of Trump tweets Twitter labeled in the two days following Election Day, according to a Forbes tally.
CHIEF CRITIC
Trump’s tweets have become such a pervasive force in politics, President-elect Joe Biden made a point to claim during the campaign: “You won't have to worry about my tweets when I'm president.”
Jack BrewsterForbes Staff
Business
I'm a news reporter for Forbes.
TOPLINE
Warning labels and fact checks have not stopped President Trump from continuing to spread conspiracy theories and use violent rhetoric on Twitter, but after Inauguration Day, those kinds of tweets could land the outgoing president in hot water, and eventually cause him to be banned by the platform, a Twitter spokesperson told Forbes Thursday.
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 03: President Donald Trump speaks about the election after presenting the ... [+]
GETTY IMAGESKEY FACTS
Trump is currently shielded by Twitter’s “World Leaders policy,” which means the social media company will in most cases choose to leave up a tweet that breaks its rules, a policy established on the principle that most people would like to see what their heads of state are saying.
This policy has allowed Trump to spread conspiracy theories about issues such as Covid-19 and the election, and tweet violent threats—such as “when the looting starts, the shooting starts!” as he did back in June—without fear of punishment.
PROMOTED
Whittier Trust BRANDVOICE | Paid Program
Invest Like You Mean It: Wealthier With ESG
Maxar Technologies BRANDVOICE | Paid Program
Space-Based Innovation: What Now And What Next?
Fortinet BRANDVOICE | Paid Program
New World, New Threats: How To Defend Against Cybercriminals Waging War At The Edge
After noon on January 20, Trump will no longer fall under Twitter’s policy for world leaders, and the former president will have to follow the same guidelines as regular citizens, a Twitter spokesperson confirmed to Forbes on Thursday.
This means Trump could face increasingly severe punishment if he continues to break Twitter rules until he is banned from the platform entirely, though it would take multiple infractions for that to happen.
A first time offense typically results in Twitter blocking the user from using their account until they delete the tweet, while a second violation can result in a temporary freeze on the user’s account, and so forth (the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., was restricted from using the platform for 12 hours after he tweeted out a false claim about hydroxychloroquine and Covid-19 in July.)
A Twitter spokesperson—who spoke to Forbes on the condition of anonymity—said it does not have “special rules” for Trump, and would not discuss whether the company had internal deliberations about what would happen if it had to ban the president once he leaves office.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Twitter does not have a specific limit on the number of times a user can break its rule before it bans the user entirely, and weighs many factors when deciding how to enforce its rules.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
On Tuesday, Trump threatened to veto a defense spending bill if Congress does not act to repeal Section 230, a legal shield for Big Tech platforms, prompting speculation the president was concerned about a ban by Twitter or other social media sites. Section 230 gives social media platforms the power to moderate content in “good faith,” and protects them from lawsuits relating to speech on their site.
KEY BACKGROUND
Even before he launched a career in politics, Trump used Twitter as his megaphone. Since joining Twitter in 2009, Trump has tweeted more than 58,000 times. In office, the platform has allowed the president to bypass the media and reach millions of users at a moment’s notice. After Election Day, Trump flooded the platform with baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud and false claims that he won the election. “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!” Trump tweeted on November 7, hours before all major networks called the election for President-elect Joe Biden. Twitter has fact-checked most of the president’s false tweets, even as they rack up hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of interactions. However, studies have shown some of Twitter’s actions have slowed the spread of conspiracy theories.
BIG NUMBER
50%. That’s the percentage of Trump tweets Twitter labeled in the two days following Election Day, according to a Forbes tally.
CHIEF CRITIC
Trump’s tweets have become such a pervasive force in politics, President-elect Joe Biden made a point to claim during the campaign: “You won't have to worry about my tweets when I'm president.”
