Lawsuits Against Google, Facebook and Twitter

Former President Donald Trump said that he has filed lawsuits against Google, Facebook, Twitter and their CEOs with the accusation of First Amendment violations for alleged censorship. These three lawsuits against Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey surfaced after Trump was banned from major social media platforms.

NYU Center for Business and Human Rights deputy director Paul Barrett, said Trump’s lawsuits did not have a chance, noting that the First Amendment doesn’t prevent private companies from moderating content.

Barrett said in a statement that Facebook and Twitter themselves have a First Amendment and  according to it, they have freedom of speech and the right to include or exclude the content that projects their platform and excluding the speaker who incite violence as in the case of Trump, January 6 Capitol insurrection.

Trump in a press conference, said that the lawsuits will seek punitive damages and an immediate halt to social media companies’ illegal, shameful censorship of the American people. He also cited the platforms’ use of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides legal protections to companies over what gets posted to their sites. The lawsuit is in partnership with the America First Policy Institute. Trump is seeking class action status for the suits. The three suits were filed separately with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division.

Trump was permanently banned from Twitter in January.

YouTube in the beginning suspended Trump and if the “risk of violence decreased” they would reduce Trump’s suspension.

Facebook first blocked Trump in January then sent the decision Facebook content oversight board for further action. The oversight board ruled that for at the minimum of two years Trump would be barred from the social network, as well as Instagram. At the end of two years period, Facebook will review whether “violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest” have receded in order to determine if Trump will be allowed to post again.

After Trump got banned from the social media forums the Conservatives party criticized that platforms like Facebook and Twitter censor political speech and they don’t agree with it.

Jason Miller former senior adviser of Donald Trump is rumored to be behind an app i.e. Gettr which claims to be “a non-bias social network for people all over the world” as Trump followers can not gather online on the big-name social networks.

Also Read: Biden Govt Will Review the Trump Policies against Tiktok & Wechat