Facebook and YouTube remove content that identifies the whistleblower

For several days, American conservative circles have shared the name of a CIA employee whose testimony would have triggered the proceedings against the president.

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In defiance of whistleblower protection rules, the name has been circulating for more than a week in media close to the US far right. On Wednesday, November 6, it was the turn of the son of US President Donald Trump Jr., to post on Twitter the name of a person portrayed as being the CIA employee whose testimony triggered the procedure of dismissal against the Republican President.

On Friday, Facebook announced that it had decided for several days to delete the publications that would mention the potential name or photos of the whistleblower, believing that they violated its "Organized violence policy", which prohibits content that could identify a "Witness, informant or activist". The firm assures that it will review its position if the name is widely published in the media or used by public figures during debates. YouTube has announced that they have done the same.

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On Twitter, however, the alleged whistleblower's name continued to circulate widely. In a statement, the social network ensured that the sharing of"Personal information about anyone, including the alleged whistleblower". But in its conditions, the company does not consider the name of a person as private information, this category includes details such as a person's address, contact information or medical record. This is not the first time that Twitter and Facebook apply opposing moderation policies. Last week, Twitter banned political ads on its platform, unlike Facebook, which continues to broadcast, even if they contain infox, in the name of freedom of expression.

"It will not allow the president to avoid answering"

"Giving any name to the whistleblower just puts that person and his family at risk, reacted in the week Andrew Bakaj, the whistleblower's lawyer. And that will not allow the president to avoid answering the accusations against him. " His client is a member of the intelligence services who was once assigned to the White House. This summer, he had raised the concerns of several officials after the telephone conversation of 25 July, in which Donald Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate the son of his potential Democratic opponent for the presidential 2020 , Joe Biden. The revelation of his report decided the Democrats to initiate, at the end of September, the explosive procedure of impeachment against the president, whom they accuse of having abused his power for personal ends.

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Although the risk of dismissal seems low, since Mr. Trump would be tried in the Senate, where the Republicans are in the majority, the parade of witnesses in Congress tainted the re-election campaign of the ex-real estate mogul. The American president, who judges his appeal with Mr. Zelensky "Blameless" and claims to be a victim of " witch hunt "has been questioning the impartiality of this whistleblower ever since. "There is no whistleblower: there is someone with goals against Donald Trump"he wrote on Twitter Monday, asking the media to reveal his identity. Without going back to his name, he described him as a supporter of former Democratic President Barack Obama. "He hates Trump, he's a radical"had launched the Republican billionaire Sunday.

The whistleblower wants his testimony to be handled in a way "Non partisan" and he stands ready to answer "In writing and under oath" to the questions of elected Republicans, according to his lawyers. But according to the Washington PostAdam Schiff, who coordinates the parliamentary inquiry, received a House of Representatives list of witnesses from the House of Representatives on Saturday. Names include Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden, and the anonymous whistleblower. Schiff should however reject their request, warns the American daily.

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