Twitter says CEO Dorsey was informed in advance of decision to hide Trump tweet
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Twitter hid a tweet from Trump on Friday, accusing him of breaking its rules by "glorifying violence" in a message that said looters at protests in Minneapolis would be shot.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey was informed in advance by the company's staff of the decision to tag a tweet by US President Donald Trump as "glorifying violence".
Twitter hid a tweet from Trump on Friday, accusing him of breaking its rules by "glorifying violence" in a message that said looters at protests in Minneapolis would be shot.
"The decision was made jointly by teams within Twitter, and our CEO Jack Dorsey was informed of the plan before the Tweet was labelled," the spokeswoman said in an email.
Twitter's decision to step in, at a time of racially charged civil unrest in cities across the United States, escalated a feud between Trump and tech companies.
It came just hours after Trump signed an executive order threatening Silicon Valley social media firms with new regulations over free speech.
"...These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!" Trump's tweet read.
Trump's message can now be seen only after clicking on a notice which says: "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."
Twitter's action came after Trump said he would introduce legislation that may scrap or weaken a law that has protected internet companies, including Twitter and Facebook.
The proposed legislation is part of an executive order Trump signed on Thursday afternoon. Trump had attacked Twitter for tagging tweets of his this week about unsubstantiated claims of fraud in mail-in voting. Twitter added a warning prompting readers to fact-check the posts.
Trump issued his tweet after days of unrest in Minneapolis, where peaceful rallies gave way to a third night of arson, looting and vandalism as protesters vented their rage over the death of Floyd, a black man seen on video gasping for breath while a white police officer knelt on his neck.
Four police officers involved in Floyd's death have been fired and the FBI is investigating.
The incident was one of several killings of black people in the United States in recent months that has provoked outrage. The Minneapolis night sky was lit up with flame from a police precinct that had been torched overnight.
Sympathy protests also took place in other US cities. In Louisville, Kentucky, police said seven people were shot and at least one was in critical condition.
Protesters there vented rage over another police killing, of Breonna Taylor, a black woman fatally shot during a raid in her apartment in March. Louisville's mayor has asked the FBI to review a police investigation into her death.
(with inputs from Reuters)