In a lengthy Twitter trend, Jack Dorsey, the founder and CEO of Twitter, has stated his regret at having to permanently suspend the personal Twitter account of US President Donald Trump.
The Right Decision
In his tweet, Dorsey argued that suspending the account was “the right decision for Twitter” because of the very real potential for violence Trump’s tweets posed. He prefaced his comments by stating that he does not “celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realDonaldTrump from Twitter, or how we got here.”
“Offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and what drives our policy and enforcement above all,” he continued.
“That said, having to ban an account has real and significant ramifications. While there are clear and obvious exceptions, I feel a ban is a failure of ours ultimately to promote healthy conversation. And a time for us to reflect on our operations and the surrounding environment.”
An Open Standard for Social Media
Dorsey further acknowledged the fact that users are free to go elsewhere when banned by Twitter but noted that last week’s mass deplatforming was sending out a palpably dangerous message. According to him, the events represented a new and unsettling phenomenon that accepted notions of online openness.
Continuing, he reminded the public of Twitter’s efforts to create “an open and decentralized standard for social media” that tackles the spread of disinformation. He reaffirmed his company’s commitment to that aim, but noted that it will take time.
On a final note, he wrote: “It’s important that we acknowledge this is a time of great uncertainty and struggle for so many around the world. Our goal at this moment is to disarm as much as we can, and ensure we are all building towards a greater common understanding, and a more peaceful existence on earth.”
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