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demmiblue

(36,853 posts)
Wed May 23, 2018, 01:29 PM May 2018

Trump can't block Twitter followers, federal judge says

Source: CNBC

President Donald Trump cannot block users on his Twitter feed, a federal judge in New York City ruled Wednesday.

Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald said in her ruling that Trump is violating the U.S. Constitution by preventing certain Americans from viewing his tweets. The social media platform, she said, is a "designated public forum" from which Trump cannot exclude individual plaintiffs.

Buchwald's ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed last July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, as well as seven other plaintiffs who said they had been blocked on Twitter by Trump.

Trump's blocks on the social media platform prevented the plaintiffs from viewing or responding to the president's tweets when logged into their own Twitter accounts.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/23/trump-cant-block-twitter-followers-federal-judge-says.html

22 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Trump can't block Twitter followers, federal judge says (Original Post) demmiblue May 2018 OP
Asshole Corgigal May 2018 #1
His weekly golf trips cost way more than this case. apnu May 2018 #3
Yeah Corgigal May 2018 #4
Or he takes a nap and we get some quiet time. apnu May 2018 #8
Hahahahaha. notdarkyet May 2018 #2
One would think... Mike Nelson May 2018 #5
BWAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!1111 jpak May 2018 #6
Twitter should just take that ability away from Trump C_U_L8R May 2018 #7
Twitter doesn't have a great history doing the right thing apnu May 2018 #9
Doesn't this underscore the *official* nature of his tweets? Yonnie3 May 2018 #10
I don't have a twitter account but I might get one now... Javaman May 2018 #11
I hope everyone does that! SunSeeker May 2018 #16
I wonder if this will get applied to all politicans inwiththenew May 2018 #12
Yes, if they use their Twitter account for official business, like Shitler does. SunSeeker May 2018 #14
This astonishes me less than that he HAS any Twitter followers at all... n/t TygrBright May 2018 #13
I was expecting this ruling. He uses his Twitter account for official business. SunSeeker May 2018 #15
It's fascinating to see the parallel evolutions of social media, the justice system and lunatica May 2018 #17
Is he going to unblock me now? onecaliberal May 2018 #18
And if he continues to do it, here's what will happen: Mr.Bill May 2018 #19
Who is going to enforce this and make him unblock people? OliverQ May 2018 #20
Good Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin May 2018 #21
Does this apply to all politicians? madville May 2018 #22

apnu

(8,756 posts)
8. Or he takes a nap and we get some quiet time.
Wed May 23, 2018, 02:02 PM
May 2018

They way he shouts everything is exhausting.

SHUT UP TRUMP!

Mike Nelson

(9,955 posts)
5. One would think...
Wed May 23, 2018, 01:48 PM
May 2018

...the President of the United States of America would have something better to do than block people on social media sites.

apnu

(8,756 posts)
9. Twitter doesn't have a great history doing the right thing
Wed May 23, 2018, 02:06 PM
May 2018

Like most Social Networking generation technologists, they struggle to provide a product that works right for its users. Twitter has a long history of tolerating all kinds of dubious behavior (racism, sexism, xenophobia, illegal usage, cyberbullying) and making all sorts of noises about fixing these things and fails to deliver on the noises it makes. Facebook and Reddit are no different. Although Reddit did improve somewhat, if only to avoid turning into another version of 4Chan. Keep in mind, Reddit had to be publicly shamed into closing incest and pedophilia related subreddits.

That whole generation of communication products has these problems.

Yonnie3

(17,441 posts)
10. Doesn't this underscore the *official* nature of his tweets?
Wed May 23, 2018, 02:13 PM
May 2018

Official statements can certainly be used to prove intent.

Javaman

(62,530 posts)
11. I don't have a twitter account but I might get one now...
Wed May 23, 2018, 02:36 PM
May 2018

just so I can call him brainless every single fucking day.

inwiththenew

(972 posts)
12. I wonder if this will get applied to all politicans
Wed May 23, 2018, 02:42 PM
May 2018

I don't tweet but I know of friends who have been blocked by other politicians.

SunSeeker

(51,557 posts)
14. Yes, if they use their Twitter account for official business, like Shitler does.
Wed May 23, 2018, 04:00 PM
May 2018

From the article, describing the ruling:

"This case requires us to consider whether a public official may, consistent with the First Amendment, 'block' a person from his Twitter account in response to the political views that person has expressed, and whether the analysis differs because that public official is the President of the United States," Buchwald said in her opinion.

"The answer to both questions is no."

SunSeeker

(51,557 posts)
15. I was expecting this ruling. He uses his Twitter account for official business.
Wed May 23, 2018, 04:02 PM
May 2018

It is a public forum, so the First Amendment applies. He can't block speech just because he disagrees with it.

lunatica

(53,410 posts)
17. It's fascinating to see the parallel evolutions of social media, the justice system and
Wed May 23, 2018, 04:26 PM
May 2018

global cultural changes of our modern times.

New crimes pop up as they always do and the justice system and society have to travel the path along with them.

This stuff fascinates me. It’s living history as it it progresses.

madville

(7,410 posts)
22. Does this apply to all politicians?
Wed May 23, 2018, 11:25 PM
May 2018

I'm sure most politicians have blocked twitter users at some point.

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