A day after Twitter permanently suspended US President Donald Trump’s account in the social media, BJP leaders have expressed concern over the development.
BJP leaders have said that Twitter permanently suspending US President Donald Trump’s account sets a dangerous precedent.
The BJP leaders termed the move as a wake-up call for democracies about the “threat from unregulated big tech companies”.
“If they can do this to the President of the US (POTUS), they can do this to anyone. Sooner India reviews intermediaries’ regulations, better for our democracy,” BJP’s youth wing president Tejasvi Surya said.
This must be wake up call for all who don’t yet understand threat to our democracies by unregulated big tech companies.
If they can do this to POTUS, they can do this to anyone.
Sooner India reviews intermediaries regulations, better for our democracy.@GoI_MeitY https://t.co/SWzaBfycJ8
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) January 9, 2021
Surya further called for regulating big tech companies.
He said, “Actions of social media giants have paved the way for introspection and consequential amendments in India’s tech laws.”
Dissent is fundamental to democracy & govt welcomes it. But only constitutional authorities can decide on its resonability
Lately, we’ve witnessed a sea change in actions of #BigTech Cos which have themselves assumed this role
Time for us to #RegulateBigTech
4/5
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) January 9, 2021
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Meanwhile, BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya said that “those who claim to champion free speech are celebrating” and dubbed big tech firms as “new oligarchs”.
“Deplatforming Donald Trump, a sitting US president, sets a dangerous precedent. It has less to do with his views and more to do with intolerance for a differing point,” Amit Malviya said.
Deplatforming Donald Trump, a sitting US president, sets a dangerous precedent.
It has less to do with his views and more to do with intolerance for a differing point. Ironically, those who claim to champion free speech are celebrating.
Big tech firms are now the new oligarchs.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 9, 2021
Notably, after Twitter suspended his personal account, Trump used the official @POTUS government to lash out at Twitter.
“We will not be SILENCED!” Trump said.
He further informed that he was considering building his own social media platform.
Twitter suspended US President Donald Trump’s account permanently on its platform citing “risk of further incitement of violence” after supporters of Trump stormed into the Capitol building and ‘sieged’ it.
The siege and subsequent violence at Capitol building led to the death of 4 civilians and a police officer.
By the time Donald Trump’s Twitter handle was permanently suspended by the social media giant, he enjoyed 88.7 million followers and followed 51 people.