Donald Trump announces lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter and Google claiming he was wrongly censored

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By JILL COLVIN and MATT O’BRIEN

WASHINGTON (AP) – Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against three of the nation’s largest tech companies, alleging he and other conservatives were wrongly censored.

Trump announced the action against Google’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, along with the companies ’CEOs, at a press conference in New Jersey on Wednesday. He joined other plaintiffs in the lawsuits, which were filed in federal court in Miami.

“We demand an end to the shadow ban, a cessation of silence and an end to blacklists, bans and cancellations that you already know,” he said.

Under Section 230 of the Design Community Act of 1996, social media platforms are allowed to moderate their service by removing posts that are, for example, obscene or violate the standards of services, as long as they act in “good faith.” The law also generally excludes internet companies from liability for material posted by users.

But Trump and several other politicians have long argued that Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms have abused that protection and should lose their immunity – or somehow achieve it by satisfying requirements set by the government.

Trump was suspended from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube after his followers stormed the Capitol building on Jan. 6. Companies cited concerns that he would incite further violence.

However, Trump continued to spread lies about the 2020 election, with no basis claiming he won, even local and local election officials, his own lawyer and several judges, including some he nominated , said there was no evidence of mass voters. fraud his allegation.

Facebook, Google and Twitter all declined to comment Wednesday.

The plaintiffs argued that banning or suspending Trump and other plaintiffs was a violation of the First Amendment, despite the fact the companies were private. The suit against Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook acted unconstitutionally when it removed Trump from the platform. Suits against Twitter and YouTube are making similar claims. Everyone is asking the court to award unspecified damages, declare Section 230 unconstitutional and restore Trump’s accounts, along with the other plaintiffs – a few others who all have deleted posts or account.

But Trump’s lawsuits are unlikely to fail, said Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University in California who has studied more than 60 identical, failed lawsuits over the past few decades seeking to take over. the internet companies for terminating or suspending users. accounts

“They’re arguing everything under the sun, including the First Amendment, and they’re going nowhere,” Goldman said. “Maybe he got a trick up his sleeve that would give him a leg up on the dozens of suits in front of him. I doubt it.”

Goldman said it was likely Trump would have instead chased the suits to get attention. As president, Trump last year signed an executive order challenging Section 230.

“It’s always about sending a message to their base that they’re fighting for them against the evil Silicon Valley technology giants,” Goldman said.

Matt Schruers, president of the Computer & Communities Industry Association, a tech industry group that includes Facebook, Twitter and Google, said internet companies have the right to enforce their terms of service.

“Vigorous class action litigation will not change the fact that users – even the Presidents of the United States – have to abide by the rules they have agreed to,” he said in a statement.

__ O’Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island. Associated Press writer Mae Anderson contributed to this report from Nashville.

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