By Kiran Stacey and Hannah Murphy
In banning Donald Trump, Twitter and Facebook hoped to quell complaints — from Democrats and others — that they have allowed the US president to use their platforms to sow misinformation and hate. In doing so, however, they have amplified a complaint long made by conservatives, which is that too much political influence is now wielded by a handful of private technology companies which can decide who can and cannot reach their audiences.
The events of the past week have given ammunition to critics on both sides who want stricter regulation for social media platforms.
“The actions of the technology companies last week were legal, there is no question about that,” said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. “But they also underscore the immense power that some of these companies now have as gatekeepers to the public square.”
