Twitter CEO Admits To Setting 'Dangerous' Precedent With Trump Ban, Here's Why He Called It Their Failure

A lot of Trump supporters and politicians in India (notably BJP MP Tejasvi Surya) as well raised an alarm over the suspension of Donald Trump's account on Twitter. Now addressing these concerns, CEO Jack Dorsey wrote a series of tweets defending the platform while also holding it accountable. Read on.

(File Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP)

New Delhi: Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey has finally opened up about the ban imposed on outgoing president Donald Trump from using the platform as the restriction invited its own share of debating over the 'Big Tech'.  A lot of Trump supporters and politicians in India (notably BJP MP Tejasvi Surya) as well raised an alarm over the suspension of Donald Trump's account on Twitter and ban on Facebook - stating it sets a dangerous precedent in hampering free speech. Even though the ban came in the wake of Trump's speech which is believed to have incited the US Capitol Hill riot, the control of 'Big Tech' became a subject of debate and discussion. Now addressing these concerns, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey wrote a series of tweets defending the platform while also holding it accountable. "I believe this was the right decision for Twitter. We faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, forcing us to focus all of our actions on public safety. Offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and what drives our policy and enforcement above all," he stated in defence of Twitter. Acknowledging the "significant ramifications" of the account ban, he wrote, "I feel a ban is a failure of ours ultimately to promote healthy conversation. And a time for us to reflect on our operations and the environment around us". "Having to take these actions fragment the public conversation. They divide us. They limit the potential for clarification, redemption, and learning. And sets a precedent I feel is dangerous: the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation," he added.

Having to take these actions fragment the public conversation. They divide us. They limit the potential for clarification, redemption, and learning. And sets a precedent I feel is dangerous: the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation.

— jack (@jack) January 14, 2021

In this thread, he addressed both the matter at hand with respect to the Trump account ban and how it may feel like state censorship even though it is not: "A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same". The Twitter CEO committed to building an "open decentralized standard for social media" with his initiative called 'Blue Sky'. "Twitter is funding a small independent team of up to five open source architects, engineers, and designers to develop an open and decentralized standard for social media. The goal is for Twitter to ultimately be a client of this standard," Jack Dorsey informed. Meanwhile, Donald Trump became the first-ever US President to be impeached twice in a historic 232-197 voting supported by Democrats and 10 Republicans. Now, it depends upon the speaker when she wants to send the impeachment article to the Senate for a trial. In case the Senate moved "promptly," there is little scope of it to conduct a trial before Biden is inaugurated and Trump leaves office, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement. WATCH | US: Second Impeachment motion passed against Donald Trump