Trump picks a fight with Social Media

[dogmush]

I saw this floating around, and we weren't talking about it yet so here we go:

After being fact checked on Twitter, the Pres has signed an EO (that will surely be litigated) aimed at upsetting the current status quo of Twitter, Facebook, and Google.

It talks a fair amount about the Communications Decency Act and the "Publisher" vs. "Platform" argument that we've been having for a while now.

As far as the meat and potatoes, it looks like it attempts to restrict Fed.gov funds being spent on the platforms, it sics the FTC on them for unfair or deceptive trade practices (one assumes for impossible to predict demonetizations and TOS violations), and has the AG look at them for deceptive and/or discriminatory practices with an eye towards proposing legislation.

I think a lot of this he'll lose on but he knows that.  I assume he's doing it to make a bunch of noise for the elections and set himself up as the guy fighting against Big Tech, who a lot of Americans are fed up with. It'll be interesting to see if he can bait the left politicians (as opposed to college students) to go on record against Free Speech.

Text of the EO is here: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/28/politics/read-social-media-executive-order/index.html

[Ben]

As far as the meat and potatoes, it looks like it attempts to restrict Fed.gov funds being spent on the platforms, it sics the FTC on them for unfair or deceptive trade practices (one assumes for impossible to predict demonetizations and TOS violations), and has the AG look at them for deceptive and/or discriminatory practices with an eye towards proposing legislation.

I think a lot of this he'll lose on but he knows that.  I assume he's doing it to make a bunch of noise for the elections and set himself up as the guy fighting against Big Tech, who a lot of Americans are fed up with. It'll be interesting to see if he can bait the left politicians (as opposed to college students) to go on record against Free Speech.

Text of the EO is here: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/28/politics/read-social-media-executive-order/index.html

I don't like EOs used in this way, but I think you summed up what he's trying to do. I think big tech and the very political people in executive positions in these organizations that feel they know what is best for me need their asses kicked. I'm not sure this is the way to do it.

[dogmush]

Press conference on it:

https://www.facebook.com/whitehousebrief/videos/2567048443509347/

[MikeB]

He has a pen and phone. I’m not a fan of EOs like this, but what’s good for the goose is good for the gander or EOs should have be more limited and reigned in a long time ago. Or maybe start now, but I also don’t like how stuff always needs to be limited under Republican vs Dem admins vs both.

[MechAg94]

It talks a fair amount about the Communications Decency Act and the "Publisher" vs. "Platform" argument that we've been having for a while now.

This particular difference has been abused by social media platforms for years.  They have acted as publishers and enjoyed liability protection as platforms.  Courts and others have largely ignored it.  I don't have a problem with an EO looking at that.  It should have already happened years ago.

That said, I would rather just get rid of that law.  Let them handle the lawsuits without that protection. 

[DittoHead]

he's doing it to make a bunch of noise

Don't worry about those meat packing plants shutting down, there's an endless supply of red meat for the hungry base.

[gunsmith]

i happened to listen to NPR on the way home from work, there were commercials or crap rock elsewhere.
the expert they had on, was all like "this is not the way things are done, potus should not write laws with EO"
I was all like yelling. "yeah, unless D.A.C.A and chitchat".... well, i didn't say "chitchat" but, like,you know.

[Ben]

Well, this might be another of those incidents where I come out as not liking something Trump does, and it turns out to be a 3D chess move again. Twitter looks like they're just gonna start throwing "warnings" on every Trump tweet out of spite, which is only going to get Trump sympathy with anyone without TDS.

While many, including, I'm sure many here, might disagree with it, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts" is a Trump statement that actually puts him on my good side. I prefer that to, "let rioters do whatever they want."

https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2020/05/29/twitter-slaps-a-warning-on-president-trumps-tweet-on-the-minneapolis-riots/

[Ron]

Twitter is an enemy platform.

Trump personally invaded enemy territory and has been using their own tool against their political agenda.

This escalation was bound to happen.

Will Twitter double down or back down?

 

[MechAg94]

Twitter is an enemy platform.

Trump personally invaded enemy territory and has been using their own tool against their political agenda.

This escalation was bound to happen.

Will Twitter double down or back down?

You have to know they were working on what to do about that leading up to the election.  However, they probably were scared of Trump taking any sort of leadership role in dealing with the riots. 

[Perd Hapley]

I was all like yelling. "yeah, unless D.A.C.A and chitchat".... well, i didn't say "chitchat" but, like,you know.

You know the thing.

[MechAg94]

You know the thing.

https://youtu.be/UwXOAZDewuo?t=120

I couldn't find that scene.

[Perd Hapley]

Was Trump fact-checked, or was he found to be promoting hate-facts?

[Pb]

Was Trump fact-checked, or was he found to be promoting hate-facts?

Trump was "glorifying violence"

I think there are good arguments on both sides of the debate about publisher versus platform- I have no idea who is "right" here- but the disgusting behavior of tech companies renders me incapable of feeling the least bit sympathetic to them.

[Ron]

Twitter and facebook are pretty obviously editing content.

Of course obvious probably isn't good enough to call them publishers.

[French G.]

Heshould just tweet what mayor Daley said, the only good thing he ever said. Shoot to wound looters, shoot to kill arsonists.

[Chester32141]

When I heard " When the looting starts the shooting starts I, like most everyone thought he meant that looters would be shot " ... but … perhaps he meant that after the rioters start looting they soon begin shooting … meaning the looters and rioters are the shooters, which considering that after the looting started the shooting began soon after could be what the President was referencing.  Actually makes more sense than to think he was suggesting looters be shot ... another example of taking the worst possible meaning to the Presidents words ... press wouldn't do that now would they.

 

[HankB]

Heshould just tweet what mayor Daley said, the only good thing he ever said. Shoot to wound looters, shoot to kill arsonists.

I was a youngster growing up in Chicago at that time. Daley said that what was happening in Detroit - massive looting and arson, thugs shooting at fire trucks, etc. - was NOT going to happen in Chicago. As I recall, his order was shoot to MAIM looters, shoot to kill arsonists. The riots and arson that were just starting to ramp up stopped almost as if someone flipped a switch, despite the outraged rhetoric of the usual suspects. (Jesse Jackson et.al.)

I also note that Chicago didn't suffer a spate of "Devil's Night" arson and rioting for years afterwards the way Detroit did, either.

I remember that as very possibly the only GOOD thing Daley said/did during his tenure as mayor.

Too bad Minneapolis doesn't seem to have any Rooftop Koreans . . .

[MechAg94]

Ted Cruz Calls for Criminal Investigation of Twitter – Alleging Violation of Iran Sanctions
https://bongino.com/ted-cruz-calls-for-criminal-investigation-of-twitter-alleging-violation-of-iran-sanctions/

In a letter on Friday to Attorney General William Barr and Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin, Cruz centered on the accounts of Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Islamic Republic, and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

Twitter allows top Iranian leaders to have accounts on its platform, which Cruz said violates sanctions in place to prevent providing services or goods to that nation’s officials. Twitter is blocked in Iran.

More than one way to skin a cat, as I have heard people say.

[kgbsquirrel]

Tag.

[gunsmith]

Ted Cruz Calls for Criminal Investigation of Twitter – Alleging Violation of Iran Sanctions
https://bongino.com/ted-cruz-calls-for-criminal-investigation-of-twitter-alleging-violation-of-iran-sanctions/

More than one way to skin a cat, as I have heard people say.

Ted's a smart guy, I wonder if he is still in touch with the JFK assassination team

twitter is the enemy, so is facebook even tho i still currently on it

[zxcvbob]

[snip]
I remember that as very possibly the only GOOD thing Daley said/did during his tenure as mayor.

Too bad Minneapolis doesn't seem to have any Rooftop Koreans . . .

They would be arrested here (and the looters not.)  Minnesota has a castle doctrine, but the police have recently said it only applies in your home.  I'm not sure how true that is, but doesn't have to be true for them to arrest you.

[Big Hairy Bee]

A saw a sign on a business that said please don't burn, there are kids upstairs.  If true, there's your castle

[Hawkmoon]

A saw a sign on a business that said please don't burn, there are kids upstairs.  If true, there's your castle

Unfortunately, that sign would be effective only if the rioters could read ... a fact not in evidence.

[HankB]

They would be arrested here (and the looters not.)  Minnesota has a castle doctrine, but the police have recently said it only applies in your home.  I'm not sure how true that is, but doesn't have to be true for them to arrest you.

Might become extremely dangerous for the boys in blue if they came to be viewed as a security detail for the looters and arsonists. Hope they see it and don't go there.