As cybersecurity specialists reported, a New York-based federal court has ruled that U.S. President Donald Trump violates his country’s freedom of speech laws by blocking his critics on the social network Twitter.
The court’s ruling follows a case brought by
seven people who were blocked by President Trump. The judge in charge of this
process mentioned that government officials using social media will not be able
to silence or block other users of online platforms, regardless of their
political or ideological orientation.
According to cybersecurity experts, Donald
Trump’s defense alleged that the president blocked users from his personal
Twitter account, so it should not be subject to the regulations established by
the federal court. “We are disappointed by this ruling, we will soon be
looking for new ways forward,” said a U.S. Department
of Justice (DOJ) official.
The judge in charge mentioned that, in
accordance with the provisions of the U.S. First Constitutional Amendment, it
was decided that officials who use social media, no matter what purpose, should
allow dialogue with citizens through any communication channel of whether
people share their opinion or not.
The ruling was released after a court decided
last year that the president’s Twitter account (@realDonaldTrump) should be considered a public forum.
The lawsuit against President Trump was filed
by the U.S. Knight First Amendment Institution, a non-governmental organization
fighting for cybersecurity and freedom of speech in the digital age. After
learning about the ruling, Jameel Jaffer, director of the Institute, stated:
“The social media accounts of public officials are now considered the most
relevant public policy discussion forums, it was vital that the authorities
ensure the full access to these platforms. Thanks to this decision, no one can
be excluded just because they have a different point of view, and public
officials will be able to be more aware of the feelings of the citizens.”
Experts from the International Cyber Security
Institute (IICS) mention that President Trump has already unlocked more than 70
people, however, well-known figures such as model Chrissy Teigen and writer
Stephen King are still unable to access the account of the president’s Twitter.
