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One thing I think missing in this discussion is that Trump cannot block anyone. When he 'blocks' someone, he is sending info to Twitter. Twitter is the one wh

One thing I think missing in this discussion is that Trump cannot block anyone. When he 'blocks' someone, he is sending info to Twitter. Twitter is the one who chooses to react to that information, and based on that reaction, block users. I think the courts conclusion is correct, but their reasoning is not. In this case, I think twitter should not be allowed to stop someone interacting with an official government account as long as they do business with the government (if twitter quits that relationship, then the limit is removed).

deleted 7y ago
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ggggtez 7y ago
So, you want Twitter to be both law enforcement, and the judicial system when determining if a government employee is breaking the law, and then preventing them from doing so? This is literally a case about federal law. Why would you hold Twitter accountable, but not the government?
- SkyBelow 7y ago
  I don't follow. What I think should happen is that Twitter is not allowed to block anyone from responding with official government accounts, same as any other user of the service (and this would likely also apply to any premium features). When it comes to a non-government account, Twitter can do whatever they want. Only when it comes to government accounts will this equality be enforced, including allowing interactions from someone who has otherwise been banned from the service. I don't see how Twitter is being law enforcement or judicial system in such a setup. >Why would you hold Twitter accountable, but not the government? The one held responsible should depend upon the contract. If the government does not specify or require the equal treatment of all users, then they should be held responsible. If it is required in the contract, and Twitter does not honor it, then Twitter should be held responsible.
  - la_barba 7y ago
    I don't see why Twitter should be expending resources determining what is or isn't an 'official' government account, and what rules apply in all the different countries' legal jurisdictions. That's just a hornets nest.
    - SkyBelow 7y ago
      >I don't see why Twitter should be expending resources determining what is or isn't an 'official' government account, and what rules apply in all the different countries' legal jurisdictions. That's just a hornets nest. Then they can easily slip something into their terms of service to say no official government accounts allowed, and when one shows up and starts to cause problems they can ban it.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

ggggtez 7y ago

So, you want Twitter to be both law enforcement, and the judicial system when determining if a government employee is breaking the law, and then preventing them from doing so? This is literally a case about federal law. Why would you hold Twitter accountable, but not the government?

SkyBelow 7y ago
I don't follow. What I think should happen is that Twitter is not allowed to block anyone from responding with official government accounts, same as any other user of the service (and this would likely also apply to any premium features). When it comes to a non-government account, Twitter can do whatever they want. Only when it comes to government accounts will this equality be enforced, including allowing interactions from someone who has otherwise been banned from the service. I don't see how Twitter is being law enforcement or judicial system in such a setup. >Why would you hold Twitter accountable, but not the government? The one held responsible should depend upon the contract. If the government does not specify or require the equal treatment of all users, then they should be held responsible. If it is required in the contract, and Twitter does not honor it, then Twitter should be held responsible.
- la_barba 7y ago
  I don't see why Twitter should be expending resources determining what is or isn't an 'official' government account, and what rules apply in all the different countries' legal jurisdictions. That's just a hornets nest.
  - SkyBelow 7y ago
    >I don't see why Twitter should be expending resources determining what is or isn't an 'official' government account, and what rules apply in all the different countries' legal jurisdictions. That's just a hornets nest. Then they can easily slip something into their terms of service to say no official government accounts allowed, and when one shows up and starts to cause problems they can ban it.