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President Trump's practice of blocking Twitter users who are critical of him from seeing his posts on the social media platform violates the First Amendment, a federal judge in Manhattan ruled on Wednesday.
The ruling came in a case brought by seven Twitter users who had been blocked by the @realDonaldTrump account after they criticized the president.
The plaintiffs, who were joined in the suit by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, claimed that Mr. Trump's Twitter feed is an official government account and that blocking users from following it was a violation of their First Amendment rights.
In her ruling, Federal District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald wrote of the plaintiffs that "the speech in which they seek to engage is protected by the First Amendment" and that Mr. Trump and Dan Scavino, the White House social media director, "exert governmental control over certain aspects of the @realDonaldTrump account."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/23/business/media/trump-twitter-block.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes
See also: http://time.com/4808270/sean-spicer-donald-trump-twitter-statements/:
When asked at a press briefing whether Trump's tweets qualify as official statements on behalf of the White House, Spicer said that he "is the President of the United States, so they're considered official statements by the President of the United States."
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday May 25 2018, @03:33PM (10 children)
This is how they handle blocks on Twitter? I would think it would make more sense to do it the other way around, i.e. they can see what you do but *you* can't see anything *they* do. Which would include if Twitter has any private messaging system?
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 5, Informative) by insanumingenium on Friday May 25 2018, @03:45PM (1 child)
Both are options, you can mute them in which case you can't see their posts. Or you can block them where they also can't see yours. Muting was found to be acceptable, blocking not, guess which one Trump uses.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Friday May 25 2018, @04:02PM
Ah, okay. I've never really looked at Twitter for any length of time.
lol
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by frojack on Friday May 25 2018, @07:14PM (7 children)
The fact that Twitter allows people to block certain respondents clearly demonstrates it was the intent of the developers that this feature be available as a routine part of the twitter environment. The judge has decided to politicize that.
District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald is a Clinton appointee. Did anybody actually expect a different ruling?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Friday May 25 2018, @07:40PM (6 children)
I didn't expect a different ruling, because this is not a partisan act. This is BIPARTISAN. Orange Anus does not get to decide who can, and who cannot, listen to OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS.
The platform of Twitter and the developer's intentions are wholly irrelevant to the main points being discussed:
Both questions are incredibly clear in their answer, and backed up by his former press secretary. ALL of his public communications (communications with an open ended recipient list, or a fucking wildcard *) are official communications, and therefore subject to the laws of the United States of America. That fucking bastard is not above the law! I don't think you agree anybody is either, unless the conversation devolves into a hopeless partisan quagmire.
What was decided by the court, which is most certainly not a partisan swipe against Trump, is the answer to #2 is that EVERY CITIZEN has the right to hear official communications from the tippity top of the Executive Branch.
With all due respect, Frojack, your attempt to make this an invalid partisan decision is utter bullshit. Trump does not have the right to block citizens from listening to his official communications. Even if over half of America just waits to pounce on him and deride whatever he said.
You know who can control who can listen to leaders? Dictators, and the Monarchy before the fucking Magna Carta. Such bullshit has no place in America, and is antithetical to the principles of Freedom.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 25 2018, @10:51PM
If the president is speaking at the press room in the whitehouse, that is official speech. You get to attend.
Listening to it from somebody else is clearly not a substitute. You have the right to see it yourself.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 25 2018, @11:58PM (1 child)
Orange Anus does not get to decide who can, and who cannot, listen to OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS.
Pay attention children this is how you continue to act butt hurt over a loss to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yC7-JsR2Fk [youtube.com]
(Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Saturday May 26 2018, @12:25AM
Again you dumbfucks, you try to make it partisan. It has nothing to do with winning or losing, Republicans or Democrats, loose constructionists versus strict constructionists, etc.
It has everything to do with what constitutes official speech from our leaders, what laws govern said official speech, and can a leader forcibly restrict *specific* citizens from hearing his public addresses. All very easy to answer questions, unless your partisan, or completely lack the ability to put forth in cogent reasoning for why the speech is either unofficial, or that not all citizens are equal in who can receive the content of official speech.
All the efforts to make it partisan just show how intellectually impotent you all are. Meaning, the ones who abandon all reason and good sense to defend the positions of Trump, No. Matter. What.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @01:10AM (1 child)
Hey sanctimunous twat, your life is so rich. I hope your Trump Derangement Syndrome doesnt flare up and cause an anurism.
I'm loving life right now. Thank you POTUS.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday May 26 2018, @03:58PM
Go drink some vodka Ivan, you're kissing the wrong booty again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 27 2018, @06:38AM
But should public announcements require an account to see said communications? Can't you search @realdonaldtrump on google and see them while being logged out, even if blocked?