Silicon Valley’s steps to oust President Trump from social media represent a show of power the companies have avoided for nearly four years. Now Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and others take into account what comes next.
In the space of a few days, Twitter and Facebook – Mr. Trump’s main social media megaphones – took action to silence the personal accounts of the president or his dedicated online communities, citing rules banning content that incites violence. They were joined by companies like Snap Inc. and Reddit Inc.
Apple Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Google from Alphabet Inc. have also taken steps to launch Parler, a social media app and website that has grown in popularity among conservatives – and that some rioters had used to drive Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol, according to screenshots viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
The actions against Mr. Trump and Parler illustrate more than ever the influence of the companies on online conversations – and the political nature of their decisions. While praised by many, the expulsion of the president and some of his supporters also enraged others who said it amounted to censorship, and the moves risked expelling some users in a way that, especially for Twitter, made their business could reform. It also illustrates the political nature of how they determine what content to remove, what content to allow, and what to reinforce.
“Right or wrong, they made a political decision,” Jonathon Hauenschild, director of the communications and technology task force of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative nonprofit, said of the companies’ movements. The attention for the tech giants “was there to start with. Now the spotlight is on, ”he said.