A free-speech group in the US filed a case in which they have sued the then U.S. President Donald Trump and the head of White House Social Media office for blocking Twitter users from the President’s ‘@realDonaldTrump’ twitter account, arguing the actions of blocking users violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The lawsuit, claims President Trump blocked a number of accounts whose owners replied to his tweets with comments that criticized, mocked or disagreed with the president. The Applicants argue that President Trump’s blocking of the accounts amounted to an unconstitutional effort to suppress dissent.
They consider that because President Trump frequently turns to Twitter to make policy statements, his account qualifies as a ‘public forum’ from which the government cannot exclude people on the basis of their views.
This is an interesting case to see how the Court will deal with a conflict between private and public life. Can a person’s twitter account leave the realm of person and be considered as a public utility?
The Applicants’ case is bolstered by the fact that the previous month, the White House spokesman Sean Spicer said President Trump’s tweets were considered “official statements by the president of the United States.”
Written by Christine Muthoga