For your reading pleasure, heres the draft of Trumps upcoming EO regarding social media.
Removing this protection would, theoretically, render the current business model for almost every social media company ineffective.
pic.twitter.com/STCgxGezrQ
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)May 28, 2020
40% off TNW Conference!
When will they open a Cold Case on the Psycho Joe Scarborough matter in Florida.
Did he get away with murder?
Some people think so.
Why did he leave Congress so quietly and quickly?
A total nut job!
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)May 12, 2020
Lets extrapolate this further.
Currently, itis illegal to verbally harass someonein the US.
Words arent illegal by themselves but, when coupled with discrimination or statements of a sexual nature they are.
And this should make sense to everyone, after all its how all of our laws work.
It is also a violation of federal law to broadcast indecent or profane programming during certain hours.
Imagine a scenario where the FCC became the arbiter of what was and wasnt allowed on Twitter.
Ultimately, they deserve to be the arbiters of discourse on their own platforms.
Doesnt the US Constitutionguarantee this?
In this light, it seems ridiculous to imagine an executive order having any teeth.
Whats Trump going to to do, write OR ELSE in all caps at the end of the order?
He cant shut Twitter down right?
Honestly, I dont think anybody knows.
Lets boil this down to brass tacks:
The first question is a tough one.
Will Ajit Pai fine Twitter every time it does something the Presidents appointed oversight committee views as censorship?
Will Jack Dorsey and his staff be open to lawsuits from users who feel theyve been censored?
On the second question, Im scared to admit the answer is much clearer: probably nobody.
Name one of the many illegal things the Presidents done for which hes been held accountable.
Does it really matter if dozens of judges declare the upcoming executive order invalid?
Us journalists would love this!
It would mean an end to bots and the beginning of a golden age of background research.
The other option is a completely unregulated internet like the dark web.
Neither scenario presents a safe, usable internet.
Obviously there are more politically nuanced debates and policy discussions that could mitigate these concerns.
Theres certainly room for common ground between liberals and conservatives, but only if good faith conversations can occur.
The presidents impending threat of EO stands as an affront to those discussions.
It is a stark, bold statement based on a lie.
No social media company has ever censored the president.
