Trump rips social media companies

President threatens regulations, shutdowns after tweets given fact-check label

President Donald Trump arrives to speak with reporters about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room of the White House, Friday, May 22, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump arrives to speak with reporters about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room of the White House, Friday, May 22, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump and his supporters spoke out against social media companies Wednesday over the use of a fact-check label on his tweets for the first time.

"Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices," Trump tweeted. "We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen. We saw what they attempted to do, and failed, in 2016. We can't let a more sophisticated version of that .... happen again."

He threatened in a later tweet regarding Twitter that there was "Big action to follow!"

The move by Twitter, a response to long-standing criticism that the company is too hands-off when it comes to policing potential misinformation and falsehoods from world leaders, escalates tensions between Washington and Silicon Valley. The fact-checking took aim at two Trump tweets that claimed mail-in ballots are fraudulent. Twitter's label says, "Get the facts about mail-in ballots," and it redirects users to news articles about Trump's claim.

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The tweets, said Twitter spokeswoman Katie Rosborough, "contain potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labeled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots."

The label directs users to articles by CNN, The Washington Post and The Hill, along with selections from the articles and a page summarizing the findings of fact-checkers.

Twitter takes the actions as Silicon Valley companies are trying to show how they are prepared to tackle abuse ahead of this year's presidential election.

Last year, congressional committees held hearings on the subject, and Trump has hosted Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey at the White House to complain that he was losing followers. Trump has 80.3 million. The Justice Department is also investigating some tech giants over potential abuses of market power.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Trump was considering creating a White House panel that would examine complaints of bias against conservatives on social media and other online platforms.

Trump on Wednesday again tweeted his claims regarding mail-in ballots.

"Just like we can't let large scale Mail-In Ballots take root in our Country. It would be a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots. Whoever cheated the most would win. Likewise, Social Media. Clean up your act, NOW!!!!" he said.

During its 14-year existence, Twitter has allowed misinformation by world leaders and citizens to spread virtually unchecked. The company's leaders have long said users would engage in debate on the platform and correct false information on their own.

Trump has recently been tweeting about MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida who left the House in 2001, calling to reopen the "cold case" of Lori Klausutis, who worked in Scarborough's office and died in 2001 at age 28.

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming said Trump should stop talking about Scarborough, and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah tweeted, "enough already."

Trump has not backed down during the controversy, writing Wednesday: "Psycho Joe Scarborough is rattled, not only by his bad ratings but all of the things and facts that are coming out on the internet about opening a Cold Case. He knows what is happening!"

Authorities determined that Klausutis suffered an abnormal heart rhythm and died after collapsing and striking her head. She was found in Scarborough's regional office in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., on her back with her head near a desk, according to a 2001 police report. Scarborough was in Washington at the time.

Also on Wednesday, a federal appeals court upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit that accused Twitter, Facebook and other tech giants of conspiring to stifle the political views of a far-right activist and a conservative nonprofit.

A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that Laura Loomer and Freedom Watch Inc. don't have any viable claims that the companies violated their First Amendment free-speech rights.

In November 2018, Loomer handcuffed herself to the front doors of Twitter headquarters in New York after the company banned her.

Facebook also banned Loomer, who is running for a Florida congressional seat as a Republican.

Information for this article was contributed by Elizabeth Dwoskin, John Wagner and Paul Kane of The Washington Post; and by Michael Kunzelman of The Associated Press.

A Section on 05/28/2020

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