President Trump took to Twitter Tuesday to slam the social media platform and others in “biased Big Tech” for using Section 230 to leave up disparaging content against conservatives, while censoring conservative speech.
“Why does Twitter leave phony pictures like this up, but take down Republican/Conservative pictures and statements that are true?” the commander-in-chief tweeted Tuesday morning.
The tweet included a picture of the viral “Moscow Mitch” meme, which took the internet by storm in mid-2019 when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blocked an election security bill.
McConnell, known for his sense of humor about political attacks and nicknames, was particularly incensed at the “Moscow Mitch” moniker, given his congressional history of being a Russia hawk.
“Mitch must fight back and repeal Section 230, immediately. Stop biased Big Tech before they stop you!” Trump continued in his tweet, referencing the majority leader.
Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act provides tech companies with liability protections against illegal content posted by third-party users.
In May, the Justice Department released a 25-page proposal on its website in which it recommended curbing protections that tech platforms have enjoyed for the last two dozen years.
That proposal came amid criticism, including from Trump, that large social media companies censor conservative voices while letting other controversial material, including some criminal content, run amok.
That same month, the president signed an executive order curtailing Section 230 that mostly focused on how platforms moderate content as some companies faced accusations of censorship.
“Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube wield immense, if not unprecedented, power to shape the interpretation of public events; to censor, delete, or disappear information; and to control what people see or do not see,” the commander-in-chief’s order stated.
“We must seek transparency and accountability from online platforms, and encourage standards and tools to protect and preserve the integrity and openness of American discourse and freedom of expression.”