@True_Irish_Owl Dr. Mike Robinson: President Donald Trump has been suspended permanently from Twitter. Is this a violation of his First Amendment right?
Dr. Kay Bee: The First Amendment (and the Constitution in general) is about government actions. Twitter is a private corporation, so they cannot violate the rights of anyone by banning them. It's the same as a restaurant refusing to service someone. For it to be a constitutional violation, he would need to show that he is a protected class (i.e., race, gender, etc.), which he can't.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Should social media platforms have the responsibility to monitor what is said, especially by our national leaders?
Dr. Kay Bee: Social media can monitor its users' actions because it is a private corporation. When you open a social media account, you are given the terms and conditions of the service. Those terms are a contract. When you press "accept," you agree to the terms. Most people don't read the terms. Essentially, all Twitter did is say that Trump violated the terms of the contract, so his account was terminated.
Bio:
Kay Bee, JD PhD @True_Irish_Owl
Dr. Bee is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (the Irish) and Temple University (the Owls) organic chemist and patent attorney
Dr. Kay Bee: The First Amendment (and the Constitution in general) is about government actions. Twitter is a private corporation, so they cannot violate the rights of anyone by banning them. It's the same as a restaurant refusing to service someone. For it to be a constitutional violation, he would need to show that he is a protected class (i.e., race, gender, etc.), which he can't.
Dr. Mike Robinson: Should social media platforms have the responsibility to monitor what is said, especially by our national leaders?
Dr. Kay Bee: Social media can monitor its users' actions because it is a private corporation. When you open a social media account, you are given the terms and conditions of the service. Those terms are a contract. When you press "accept," you agree to the terms. Most people don't read the terms. Essentially, all Twitter did is say that Trump violated the terms of the contract, so his account was terminated.
Bio:
Kay Bee, JD PhD @True_Irish_Owl
Dr. Bee is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (the Irish) and Temple University (the Owls) organic chemist and patent attorney