Trump unblocks more Twitter users after U.S. court ruling

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Trump unblocks more Twitter users after U.S. court ruling

By David Shepardson

 

Visitors compose tweets at The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library presented by The Daily Show in West Hollywood, California, U.S., June 8, 2018. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday unblocked some additional Twitter users after a federal judge in May said preventing people from following him violated individuals constitutional rights.

 

U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan ruled on May 23 that comments on the president's account, and those of other government officials, were public forums and that blocking Twitter Inc <TWTR.N> users for their views violated their right to free speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

 

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University on August 10 sent the Justice Department a list of 41 accounts that had remained blocked from Trump's @RealDonaldTrump account. The seven users who filed suit had their accounts unblocked in June.

 

The 41 blocked users include a film producer, screenwriter, photographer and author who had criticized President Trump or his policies. At least 20 of those individuals said on Twitter that Trump had unblocked them on Tuesday.

 

The 41 users were not a comprehensive list of those blocked by Trump. Rosie O'Donnell, a comedian, said on Twitter late Tuesday that she remained blocked.

 

The White House did not immediately comment late Tuesday.

 

The ruling has raised novel legal issues. The Internet Association, a trade group that represents Twitter, Facebook Inc, Amazon.com, and Alphabet Inc, filed a brief in the case earlier this month that did not back Trump or the blocked users but urged the court to "limit its decision to the unique facts of this case so that its decision does not reach further than necessary or unintentionally disrupt the modern, innovative Internet."

 

Trump has made his Twitter account, with 54.1 million followers, an integral and controversial part of his presidency, using it to promote his agenda, announce policy and attack critics. He has blocked many critics, preventing them from directly responding to his tweets.

 

The U.S. Justice Department said the ruling was "fundamentally misconceived" arguing Trump's account "belongs to Donald Trump in his personal capacity and is subject to his personal control, not the control of the government."

 

Buchwald rejected the argument that Trump's First Amendment rights allowed him to block people with whom he did not wish to interact.

 

Trump could "mute" users, meaning he would not see their tweets while they could still respond to his, she said, without violating their free speech rights.

 

The Internet Association said the court "should make clear that this case does not implicate the overwhelming majority of social media accounts throughout the Internet."

 

"Despite any First Amendment status that this court might find in the 'interactive spaces' associated with President Trump’s account, Twitter retains authority to revoke access to both his account and the account of any user seeking to comment on President Trump’s account," the group said.

 

It also warned "there is a considerable risk that any decision that may recognise isolated public forums on Twitter will be misunderstood to hold that Twitter, too, can be subject to First Amendment scrutiny. ...Twitter itself is not a state actor when it blocks or withdraws access to its account-holders or users, and it is therefore not subject to the First Amendment’s restraints."

Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-29

[keith101]

So this judge thinks all of Trumps lies and hate speech is ok for people to follow personally i think Trump should be banned because of his tweets .

[Boon Mee]

I have never been blocked. 

[UnkleGoooose]

This is an outrageous lie!! Rosie O'Donnell is no comedian.

[Tug]

Oh no you are going to ruin It for Donald now people can disagree with him he won’t like that

[zzaa09]

7 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

I have never been blocked. 

Indeed.

Must be your charming character.

[alocacoc]

Why would you follow someone when you don't like what they write? Only for trolling? Nah, let us be happy for that tiny useless Win of the so called 'liberal left..

[Quidio]

2 hours ago, alocacoc said:

Why would you follow someone when you don't like what they write? Only for trolling? Nah, let us be happy for that tiny useless Win of the so called 'liberal left..

You think people only follow someone they like?   I follow the weather report on Twitter and I certainly don't like it most of the time.

 

[alocacoc]

1 minute ago, Quidio said:

You think people only follow someone they like?   I follow the weather report on Twitter and I certainly don't like it most of the time.

 

And do you also insult and threaten the weather man?

 

Ahhhh! Now you understand.

[Redline]

Why would you follow a pathological liar ??  Well, except to make fun of him 

[Credo]

1 minute ago, alocacoc said:

And do you also insult and threaten the weather man?

 

Ahhhh! Now you understand.

So, it's OK for him to insult others, but it's not OK for them to return the favor?    He's a bit thin skinned, I'd say.

 

[alocacoc]

1 minute ago, Redline said:

Why would you follow a pathological liar ??  Well, except to make fun of him 

If insulting and threatening a person is fun for you, well, go for it.

[Redline]

2 minutes ago, alocacoc said:

And do you also insult and threaten the weather man?

 

Ahhhh! Now you understand.

They can’t threaten him, and sure, why not insult him-he does it all the time.  Now you understand right ?

[alocacoc]

1 minute ago, Credo said:

So, it's OK for him to insult others, but it's not OK for them to return the favor?    He's a bit thin skinned, I'd say.

 

Who did he insult?

[Credo]

1 minute ago, alocacoc said:

Who did he insult?

The list is too long to mention, but I suspect you know that and are just trolling.

 

[Redline]

1 minute ago, alocacoc said:

Who did he insult?

Looks like you need to watch a lot of video and print.  Give a list when you finish-good luck keeping up ?

[alocacoc]

Great answers Redline and Credo. Very persuasive. Now I have to leave. No time to play ?

[Credo]

I am sure you do need to run along.   The problem for the hard-care Trump supporters is that it is like being in an alcoholic family.   Everyone has to justify or cover up the actions of Trump.   You can try to explain his erratic behavior, but in the end, everyone will end up suffering.   

 

He has consistently insulted people.   Derogatory remarks about Mexicans and blacks are his stock-in-trade.   He insults women.   He insults anyone who doesn't agree with him.   His behavior toward John McCain was beyond low.

 

I am not a supporter of his policies, but that is something different and always open for informed discussion.   His behavior, however, is not.   

 

 

 

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, alocacoc said:

Who did he insult?

 

The 487 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/upshot/donald-trump-twitter-insults.html

And that's just twitter.

[Expatthailover]

8 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Indeed.

Must be your charming character.

Let us not forget his wit and intellect 

[Expatthailover]

4 hours ago, alocacoc said:

If insulting and threatening a person is fun for you, well, go for it.

Its ok for Trump so why not for the rest of us.

He loves the laughs he got for calling Clinton crooked and besmirching mccain because he got caught

[Quidio]

On ‎8‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 11:21 AM, alocacoc said:

And do you also insult and threaten the weather man?

 

Ahhhh! Now you understand.

The weatherman is not responsible for the weather.   Trump is responsible for his behavior and I don't recall every insulting him.   

 

Ahhh, now you understand.