@cheezy
Not sure how I feel about him being removed from Twitter. Seems a slippery slope towards loss of free speech.
Its indicative of another problem actually. The unregulated and unaccountability of social media.
You have to ask the question 'why now' its not because Trump has finally crossed some line. Its because Trump no longer can action powers of accountability on social media companies.
Its effectively a form of lobbying to curry favour with the incoming government. And to stop outside accountability.
People have been perma banned for far less. The idea that twitter enables free speech is bollocks. It can disenfranchise who it likes for the slightest reason. Twitter allows speech it doesn't object to or care about. It continues to allow content of violence and porn. It reflects the beliefs and values of its staff. Twitters power is its gate keeping without over sight.
There is no right to recourse for unfair bannings. There is no transparency in the appeals process. There is no legal or independent over sight of the entire system - its all closed and internal.
And twitter wants to keep it that way because that's where it gets its own power from. It can lobby and influence as it wants that way.
And going forward that set up will probably suit the democrats too. For political reasons. Not because twitter is some sort of leveller for the public to have their voice heard.
Trump served a purpose and brought people to the platform. That's profit. It also allowed them not to have to spend money on complying with regulation.
When you hear talk of 'free speech' on twitter be mindful of twitters own interests in this.
Im glad trump has gone because there was a major security risk with him but im also not cheering his banning at the 11th hour after so much damage has been done and the reality is that the biggest beneficiaries of the banning are twitter themselves and not for the public and the publics safety and security for which twitter continue not to want to be in any way accountable for in any meaningful way. And that precisely why they banned Trump. To absolve responsibility rather than to take responsibility.