Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Social Media Companies

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Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Social Media Companies

President Trump signed an executive order targeting social media giants, following a spat with Twitter.

Once the darling of the president, and his preferred platform for connecting with his supporters, the social media company drew his ire when it fact-checked him Tuesday on two of his tweets. In one of the tweets in question, Trump claimed “there is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent,” prompting Twitter to pair the tweet with a link to more information about mail-in ballots.

As a result, Trump claimed the company is stifling free speech and has signed an executive order designed to weaken the protections social media and like companies enjoy.

The order is unlikely to have any real impact, at least for the time being. In case after case, the courts have so far refused to side with individuals who have claimed social media is biased against them.

At the same, the situation could help stifle innovation. Recent years have not been easy for social media companies, with them alternately being accused of not doing enough to curb offensive hate speech and then having a president issue an executive order when they fact-check his posts.

With that kind of ‘rock and the hard place’ situation, it may give some entrepreneurs pause before focusing on the field, or trying to create the next great thing in social media.

Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Social Media Companies
Matt Milano

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