Jack Dorsey, the CEO and founder of Twitter, said that the decision to ban Donald Trump from the social network was the right decision, but one that sets a dangerous precedent.
Jack Dorsey disclosed this in a statement on Thursday morning.
He said:
- “I do not celebrate or feel pride in having to ban Donald Trump from Twitter, or how we got here. After a clear warning we’d take this action, we made a decision with the best information we had based on threats to physical safety both on and off Twitter. Was this correct?”
- “Banning Trump was the right decision as Twitter faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, forcing us to focus all of our actions on public safety. Offline harm as a result of online speech is demonstrably real, and what drives our policy and enforcement above all.”
He disclosed that banning an influential account has significant ramifications, citing it as a failure of Twitter to promote healthy conversation and a time to reflect on its operations.
He added that taking actions to limit influential people like Trump fragments public conversation, limits the potential for clarification, redemption, learning, and sets a precedent I feel is dangerous – the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation.
He disclosed that Internet companies engaging in censorship can and over the long term, be destructive to the noble purpose and ideals of the open internet.
- “A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same. I believe the internet and global public conversation is our best and most relevant method of achieving this. I also recognize it does not feel that way today. Everything we learn in this moment will better our effort, and push us to be what we are: one humanity working together.”
