Angela Merkel says social media's ban of the president's accounts is “problematic” and rules governing speech should happen by law, a sentiment echoed by France
I heard the news last week that Twitter had permanently banned Trump and thought “oh my.” Associated Press : Germany's Merkel: Trump's Twitter eviction ‘problematic’ Fortune : Trump's Twitter ban prompts outcry from Germany and France Tweets: David Kaye / @davidakaye : so much cognitive dissonance here. otoh, europeans *demand* platform moderation even in the absence of obligation; indeed, they *pioneered* it! meanwhile, they question deplatforming trump. https://www.politico.eu/... Elon Musk / @elonmusk : @TheBabylonBee A lot of people are going to be super unhappy with West Coast high tech as the de facto arbiter of free speech James Todaro / @jamestodaromd : 2019: Courts ruled Trump was not allowed to block critics on Twitter because it was “unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.” 2021: Amazon, Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, Snapchat & Discord are given carte blanche to discriminate away. @yashar : German Chancellor Angela Merkel has blasted Twitter's decision to permanently suspend President Trump's account. “The chancellor considers it problematic that the president's accounts have been permanently suspended.” https://www.cnbc.com/... Jean-Louis Gassée / @gassee : Congrats on the late awakening. Now, good luck writing workable law... https://twitter.com/... Murtaza Solangi / @murtazasolangi : Merkel has a point when she thinks that, “governments, not private companies, should decide on any limitations to freedom of speech”, however Germany and the US are different countries. While Germany allows state broadcasters, the US doesn't. https://www.cnbc.com/... @theflateartherr : It's come to something when even the German's are against Trump's Twitter ban. https://twitter.com/... Heidi N. Moore / @moorehn : Most of Europe has state-sponsored media outlets and cannot understand a fully capitalist market in communications. https://twitter.com/... Karen Attiah / @karenattiah : How do you say “plot twist” in German? https://twitter.com/... @can : She should change her location on Twitter to US and see what that's like... https://t.co/UJfVHwCmLZ Mohsin Hijazee / @mohsinhijazee : The lady surely stands out - Germany's Merkel hits out at Twitter over ‘problematic’ Trump ban. https://www.cnbc.com/... “Private companies should not be deciding limits of free speech but the governments.” Nanjala Nyabola / @nanjala1 : “You cannot understand the role that technology will play in a society if you don't understand the society in question”. Me, many times. In the context of German politics and society this is absolutely consistent. https://twitter.com/... Michael Krieger / @libertyblitz : Countries all over the world looking at the U.S. as the banana republic with nukes that it is. https://twitter.com/... Mike Elgan / @mikeelgan : Suddenly European leaders are concerned about online censorship. https://www.cnbc.com/... Yashar Ali / @yashar : The president desperately wishes he could tweet about this right now...one of this chief foreign leader rivals taking his side. https://twitter.com/... Chris Stein / @chrissteinplays : Angela Merkel thinks Trump's Twitter suspension is ‘problematic’ Me: https://twitter.com/... Glenn Greenwald / @ggreenwald : What makes Merkel's comments particularly striking — apart from her well-reported acrimony with Trump — is, as @AliceFromQueens noted, Europe generally and Germany specifically have far less permissive free speech traditions than the US. Yet even Merkel finds this alarming. Roger McNamee / @moonalice : Angela Merkel disagrees with deplatforming of Trump. I am sympathetic, but circumstances are exceptional: - insurrection was an armed assault on government - platforms empowered insurrection and feel pressure to limit their legal jeopardy, as more attacks are being planned. https://twitter.com/... @thefirstontv : When Germany is concerned about what you're doing, you know you're in big trouble. https://twitter.com/... Amir / @amiraminimd : Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about fascism. https://twitter.com/... Richard Grenell / @richardgrenell : Germany sees what's happening in the US as problematic. Let that sink in..... https://twitter.com/... @susanoftexas : Germans don't allow people to espouse pro-Nazi rhetoric. https://twitter.com/... @dw_politics : “Problematic” - that's what German Chancellor Angela Merkel thinks about the moves to suspend US President Donald Trump from Twitter and Facebook. Her spokesman explains why: https://twitter.com/... President-Erect Victor / @lordvictor : WTF I love Angela Merkel now Not really but I'm glad she can see this with a perspective outside the sphere controlled by Google and Facebook mindspaces. https://twitter.com/... Josh Caplan / @joshdcaplan : AFP: Germany's Angela Merkel believes ban on Trump's Twitter account is “problematic” because freedom of opinion should not be determined by online platform bosses Hyde T. Voltyge / @hydevoltyge : She's not infallible like some people seem to think Inciting violence doesn't fall under “freedom of opinion,” this is a precedent known for a long time in American jurisprudential doctrine under “shouting fire in a crowded theater.” An embarrassing defense from Merkel. https://twitter.com/... Mike Masnick / @mmasnick : How many of the articles talking about Merkel's statement totally and completely ignore that at the same time Merkel says this, her government is participating in an effort to force internet companies to take down “online harms” within 24 hours? https://twitter.com/... Dare Obasanjo / @carnage4life : I've seen people claim last week was an unprecedented attack on free speech on the Internet. As @jilliancyork points out this is simply not true. Social media sites regularly suspend govt accounts all over the world. Nor can you host ISIS content anywhere https://jilliancyork.com/... https://twitter.com/... Molly McKew / @mollymckew : Social media as a domain of conflict, via @peterwsinger “The reverberations of Trump's deplatforming as part of this larger shift will shake out over the long term... it fundamentally alters the playing field... this shift is long overdue.” https://www.defenseone.com/... Charlie / @abstrusination : @TonyRomm @jdawsey1 Why does the Trump guy need ‘social’ media? He'd got a room especially set up to do pressers. He could even answer questions if he wanted to. I'm pretty sure every tv channel would put him on also. He could always try RT.