Trump was suspended from Twitter and
Facebook after his followers stormed the
Capitol building on Jan. 6. The companies
cited concerns that he would incite further
violence. Currently, he can no longer post on
either platform.
Nonetheless, Trump has continued to spread
lies about the 2020 election, baselessly
claiming that he won, even though state and
local election officials, his own attorney general
and numerous judges, including some he
appointed, have said there is no evidence of
the mass voter fraud he alleges.
Under Section 230 of the 1996
Communications Decency Act, internet
companies are generally exempt from liability
for the material that users post. The law, which
provides a legal “safe harbor” for internet
companies, also allows social media platforms
to moderate their services by removing posts
that, for instance, are obscene or violate the
services’ own standards, so long as they are
acting in “good faith.”
But Trump and other politicians have long
argued that Twitter, Facebook and other social
media platforms have abused that protection
and should lose their immunity — or at least
have to earn it by satisfying requirements set
by the government.
Facebook, Google and Twitter all
declined comment.