Statues with racist connotations are being removed nationwide. Pictured: a statue of Columbus on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco.
James Martin / CNET
Amid demonstrations of Black Lives Matter that has hit the U.S., the Trump administration is asking social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to remove posts that encourage them to break curfew, overturn statues, or commit violent acts. The news comes as protesters tear down Statues with racist connotations, including confederate figures.
The Department of Homeland Security sent letters to executives on Google, Snap, Twitter, and Facebook on Friday saying the technology companies had helped enable “burglary, arson, aggravated assault, rioting, looting, and defacing public property.” The Washington Post reported, citing copies of the letters.
“We can confirm that we have received the letter and intend to respond,” said a Twitter spokesman in an emailed statement.
Homeland Security, Facebook, Google and Snap did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Trump later signed an executive order Friday to protect “American monuments, memorials and tatues”. According to the president, there will be “long sentences” for those involved in demolishing statues.
It follows Twitter last month, which begins marking some of Trump’s tweets after the president released that postal ballot papers for the November election were “essentially fraudulent.” This tweet prompted Twitter to put a fact-checking label that the post contains “possibly misleading information” and provides a link for users to learn more. Trump followed up with a tweet that he would take “big measures” against social media companies.
In May, Twitter also hid the President’s tweet about protests in Minnesota against George Floyd’s death in police custody. During that time, Twitter picked out Trump’s tweet behind a warning sign that the post violated the website’s “Glorification of Violence” website rules. Users can click a button to read the tweet. It also obscured a tweet for this week Violation of his policy against “the existence of an impending danger against an identifiable group. “
The situation culminated in Trump signing an executive order for social media platforms at the end of May. The Department of Justice made a proposal last week to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which is generally considered the most important law to protect online language. The proposal would remove safeguards that protect social media platforms and Internet service providers like Verizon and Comcast from complaints about user contributions to their services.
Protests against Black Lives Matter continue in the US and around the world, as people demonstrate against the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and other victims of police brutality and against systemic racism.
Black lives count. visit blacklivesmatter.carrd.co to learn how to donate, sign petitions and safely protest.