Politics

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defends decision to fact-check Donald Trump's tweets despite his threats

Updated : May 28, 2020 09:50 AM IST

Trump, known to be generous in his use of Twitter, has threatened social media firms with action after two of his tweets were fact-checked by the platform.

The Twitter CEO said that the platform will “continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally.”

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has defended his company’s decision to flag Donald Trump’s tweet after the US president made misleading claims about the spectre of voter fraud in the presidential election in November.

Trump, known to be generous in his use of Twitter, has threatened social media firms with action after two of his tweets were fact-checked by the platform. “We will strongly regulate, or close them down [...],” he wrote in one tweet.

In another tweet, he threatened big action against the social media platform. “Twitter has now shown that everything we have been saying about them (and their other compatriots) is correct. Big action to follow!”

Twitter has now shown that everything we have been saying about them (and their other compatriots) is correct. Big action to follow!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 27, 2020

However, Dorsey has stood his ground. The Twitter CEO said that the platform will “continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally.”

“Fact check: there is someone ultimately accountable for our actions as a company, and that’s me. Please leave our employees out of this. We’ll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally. And we will admit to and own any mistakes we make,” he wrote in a tweet.

“This does not make us an 'arbiter of truth.' Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves. More transparency from us is critical so folks can clearly see the why behind our actions,” he added.

In another follow up tweet, Dorsey clarified Twitter’s objection to the flagged Trump tweet.

Fact check: there is someone ultimately accountable for our actions as a company, and that’s me. Please leave our employees out of this. We’ll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally. And we will admit to and own any mistakes we make.
— jack (@jack) May 28, 2020

The ruction follows Trump’s tweet from May 26 in which he claimed “mail-in ballots” during the November presidential election will lead to widespread fraud. He didn’t substantiate his claims; Twitter flagged them and added a link to information about “mail-in ballots.”

Trump wrote: “There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent. Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed. The Governor of California is sending Ballots to millions of people, anyone.....

“....living in the state, no matter who they are or how they got there, will get one. That will be followed up with professionals telling all of these people, many of whom have never even thought of voting before, how, and for whom, to vote. This will be a Rigged Election. No way!”

There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent. Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed. The Governor of California is sending Ballots to millions of people, anyone.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020

Mail-in ballots allow voters to cast their ballot without going to a polling station. The Democratic Party has been insisting on their large-scale use in the wake of the social distancing norms amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Republican Trump will likely take on Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, which is scheduled for November 3.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey defends decision to fact-check Donald Trump's tweets despite his threats

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