Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has broken his silence and finally spoke about the infamous ban on Donald Trump from the social media platform.
In an extensive series of tweets, Dorsey said that he believes Twitter made the correct decision to ban the president of the United States. He did however state that, “a ban is a failure of ours ultimately to promote healthy conversation.”
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 environment around us.
— jack (@jack) January 14, 2021
In terms of why exactly Trump was banned in the first place, Dorsey reiterated Twitter’s previous statement made in a blog post on the topic, saying, “offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and what drives our policy and enforcement above all.”
Dorsey also went on to write that he feels the decision to ban Trump sets a dangerous precedent going forward.
Having to take these actions fragment the public conversation. They divide us. They limit the potential for clarification, redemption, and learning. And sets a precedent I feel is dangerous: the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation.
— jack (@jack) January 14, 2021
Dorsey hit back on runours that Twitter was engaging in censorship. As he explained, “a company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same.”
In terms of Twitter’s somewhat confusing user policy, Dorsey said, “we need to look at how our service might incentivize distraction and harm. Yes, we need more transparency in our moderation operations. All this can’t erode a free and open global internet.”
Read Dorsey’s full Twitter rant by clicking here.
Picture Twitter/@doctaherlove
