Yet another of President Donald Trump’s tweets has fallen victim to Twitter’s endless battle against information that the platform deems “misleading.”
Twitter placed an interstitial, or filter, over the tweet, which stated, “A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday. That means I can’t get it (immune), and can’t give it. Very nice to know!!!” Users are not allowed to “like” or comment on the tweet, but it can be quote-tweeted.
The interstitial claimed that Trump’s tweet “violated the Twitter Rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible. Learn more.”
Twitter does hold the position that “sometimes it may be in the public interest to allow people to view Tweets that would otherwise be taken down,” according to the platform’s Help Center. When this occurs, however, Twitter “limits the ability to engage with the Tweet through likes, Retweets, or sharing on Twitter, and makes sure the Tweet isn't algorithmically recommended by Twitter.”
So, although the platform has allowed Trump’s tweet to stay up, it has allowed far fewer interactions, and because the tweet isn’t “algorithmically recommended,” fewer people see the material.
This is certainly not the first time that Twitter has censored content from Trump. Last month, Facebook flagged and Twitter censored Trump’s post that told voters how to make sure their votes have been properly collected and tabulated. The platform did, however, allow multiple tweets wishing harm or death on Trump after he and First Lady Melania Trump were diagnosed with COVID-19.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact Twitter at (415) 222-9670 and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
