Twitter responds to calls to ban Trump

US President Donald Trump (L) listens with US Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen during a meeting with Republican Members of the Senate about immigration at the White House in Washington, DC, on January 4, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / JIM WATSONJIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images (JIM WATSON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

World leaders who use Twitter help foster “necessary discussion,” the social media platform said in an apparent defense of President Trump’s tweets.

The calls for Twitter to block Trump from its service were renewed on Tuesday after the president boasted his “nuclear button” was “much bigger” than the one Kim Jong Un said was on his desk.

In a statement that did not mention Trump by name, Twitter said, “Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate.”

“It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions,” the company added.

Twitter also fought back against claims that it was profiting from Trump’s prolific use.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018

I reported 45’s most recent nuclear threat tweet and got the "We have reviewed your report carefully and found that there was no violation of the Twitter Rules against abusive behavior” email in under 2 minutes. Just an automated “nope”.

— Rochelle (@Rochelle) January 3, 2018

“No one person's account drives Twitter’s growth, or influences these decisions. We work hard to remain unbiased with the public interest in mind,” it said.

Critics have repeatedly argued over the course of the last year that Trump’s tweets violate the terms of use prohibiting threats of violence.

After Trump’s latest tweet storm this week, a group targeted CEO Jack Dorsey by projecting the words “@Jack is complicit” on the company headquarters, while some users said they would be boycotting the platform.

Dorsey previously claimed the company’s policies accounted for “newsworthiness,” and Twitter later clarified that context was “crucial when evaluating abusive behavior and determining appropriate enforcement actions.” 

- ny news