As you know, President Trump’s personal Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, has been suspended permanently lest he incites any more violence with his tweets. He could move over to Parler, but the app is gone from Google’s and Apple’s online stores and Amazon has pulled the plug on Parler’s AWS hosting.
Coming to Trump’s defense is German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who argued that Twitter is toying with the “fundamental right to free speech.”
JUST IN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel attacks Twitter over banning President Trump, calling it a "problematic" breach of the "fundamental right to free speech."
She warned it is a clear overreach by the bosses of American social media platforms.
— Disclose.tv ? (@disclosetv) January 11, 2021
According to the Financial Times, Merkel said through a spokesman that “the US government should follow Germany’s lead in adopting laws that restrict online incitement, rather than leaving it up to platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to make up their own rules.” Conservatives, generally, have believed that private companies like Twitter have the right to make up their own rules; the scattershot enforcement of those rules is the problem. (How is Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed to get away with alleging election fraud?)
Trump has also found an ally in Russian blogger and dissident Alexei Navalny, who called Trump’s suspension “an unacceptable act of censorship” that would be used by the Kremlin to justify his own blacklisting by state media.
Finally I agree with Merkel!
— Kerrie (@KerrieKindOne) January 11, 2021
Merkel is concerned that social media companies become too powerful. This is not new: she had this concern before last week and she stands by it.
— yamlima1 (@yamlima1) January 11, 2021
you know it’s bad when it had Merkel being based
— Coffin (@Splapatism) January 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/Michael_Invests/status/1348656609241817096
Some common sense
— Fatgreek Aim Investor (@SlimGreekWasFat) January 11, 2021
Only time I agree with Merkel.
— Theodore Stephen (@Theodor06891306) January 11, 2021
Wow, I’m gonna look at Angie in a different light ?
— john farrier (@JohnJohnfarrier) January 11, 2021
Yikes. The Germans are backing up Trump. ???
— nursekort? (@nursekort) January 11, 2021
When Angela Merkel of all people warns you about your unilateral, antidemocratic, illiberal overreach going too far, it's time to start asking yourself some questions.
— HB in NC (@LightningNC) January 11, 2021
Well. I'm not affiliated with politics but if Merkel speaks, you listen.
— Mecdi Dikmen (@DikmenMec) January 11, 2021
AND ITS MERKEL WITH THE CHAIR!!!!
— Mr. Mojo Risin (@Cruyff_theman) January 11, 2021
Now I HAVE seen it all
— Alex (@InhaletoExhale) January 11, 2021
Big tech is too powerful. That's a problem for everyone.
— Tsar ModelCitizen (@ModelCitizen14) January 11, 2021
Merkel will be getting banned next.
— Richard Smith (@rickus_dickus) January 11, 2021
Ayatollah Khamenei will be the last world leader on Twitter.
She knows they are using this as their "night of long knives" moment to find a scapegoat and how fast that can go really really bad
— WarhammerDave (@dave_warhammer) January 11, 2021
This is the first sane thing I've heard from her. I'm glad at least one important world leader spoke out. Surprised it was her.
— JD (@JDoawp) January 11, 2021
When Merkel is upset at how things are going in regards to free speech in America, you know we're in serious trouble.
— XhakaLacaDingdong 〽⚽ (@DingdongLaca) January 11, 2021
Related:
‘Bake the cake!’ Richard Grenell takes on those arguing Twitter is a private company that can do what it wants https://t.co/R07Ua85M05
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 10, 2021
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