Twitter again pinned Donald Trump on Tuesday, June 23, with a mention that one of his tweets "Violated" network rules on "Inappropriate behavior", while leaving the possibility of reading it.
"There will never be an" autonomous zone "in Washington as long as I am your president. If they try, they will face substantial force ", tweeted the american president, in the context of demonstrations against police violence and racism for weeks.
"We don't allow people to wish or hope to harm a person or a group of people", Twitter told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Users will not be able to "like" the message or reply to it or retweet it without comment.
The president reacted to the attempt, the day before, of some demonstrators to set up a camp near the presidency on the model of the area "Without police" created in Seattle two weeks ago. Activists had notably tagged "BHAZ" for "Black House Autonomous Zone" (autonomous area of the Black House) on St. John’s Episcopal Church. But the police quickly dispersed the small group.
Facebook criticized for its inaction
Last month, Twitter had already shown that it was not afraid to punish the tenant of the White House, always very talkative on the platform.
The social network had first reported as misleading statements by Donald Tump on the postal vote, newspaper articles in support. Then he pinned another Tweet to "Apology for violence" : "Looting will be immediately greeted by bullets"said Donald Trump about the protests that sometimes escalated into riots.
The billionaire counterattacked, at the first warning from Twitter, by signing a decree that calls into question a fundamental law of the American Internet and the business model of the network giants.
Section 230 offers digital platforms immunity from any legal action related to content published by third parties. And gives them the freedom to intervene as they please to police the exchanges.
Facebook, which did not withdraw the same messages from the president, was strongly criticized for its inaction by civil society but also internally, by its own employees.
Five months before the presidential election, the networks are trying more than ever to take care of the goat and the cabbage. They must value freedom of expression while polishing the exchanges between users, often stormy, even surly.
They are also called upon to take measures to combat racism. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have mobilized for almost a month, on the streets and on platforms, to demand justice for George Floyd, an African-American killed by a white police officer, and force reforms of the order.
