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Twitter to remove content that wishes Trump's death by COVID: Reports

WION Web Team
Washington, United StatesUpdated: Oct 03, 2020, 11:43 AM IST
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Photograph:(Reuters)

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This announcement gained criticism as some users claimed of receiving such messages and threats quite frequently, and called it to be a 'surprising' move

After the US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday, many took to Twitter to slam Trump for mishandling the pandemic.

Some people also wished ill health and death upon the President after he declared being infected. However, the social media giant Twitter has said that all tweets that wish death of Trump violate its policies and will removed from the platform, a local publication Motherboard claimed.

Twitter said all such tweets violate Twitter’s “Abusive Behavior policy”, and could also lead to suspension of such accounts.

This announcement gained some criticism for the social media platform as some users claimed of receiving such messages and threats quite frequently, and called it to be a 'surprising' move.

However, Twitter quickly dismissed such allegations and cleared the confusion by stating that such malicious content against anyone will not be tolerated.

"Tweets that wish or hope for death, serious bodily harm or fatal disease against *anyone* are not allowed and will need to be removed. this does not automatically mean suspension.," Twitter Comms tweeted.

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The announcement came hours after China's daily Global Times' Editor took to twitter to slam Trump and said the President and his wife have "paid the price" for downplaying the pandemic.

"President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection," Hu Xijin, Editor, Globa Times tweeted.

Meanwhile, many other world leaders such as Kim Jong Un, Narendra Modi and Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris wished the President and the First lady a speedy and full recovery from the virus.