President Donald J. Trump who’s still serving as the 45th President of the United States; the world’s largest power was banned on Twitter on Friday. A decision the social media company confirmed on Friday, January 8, after mod stormed the nation’s capital.
On both sides of the Atlantic, some of the political class denounced the desire to “censor” president Trump. In France, we find them especially on the far right where Marine Le Pen, Louis Aliot, Florian Philippot or Gilbert Collard have all slammed the decision of Twitter.
Opponents of Trump, share these doubts. This is the case of the Secretary of State in charge of the Digital Transition Cédric O, and the deputy president of the LREM deputies Aurore Bergé.
“We can fight Trump and the chaos he created, but refuse to rejoice in seeing the GAFA decide alone, without judicial control, without recourse, which president in office has the right to have an account or not on Twitter,” said the member for Yvelines on Twitter and adding, “that certainly it does not help democracy. ”
On peut combattre Trump et le chaos qu’il a entraîné mais refuser de se réjouir de voir les GAFA décider seuls, sans contrôle du juge, sans recours possible, quel président en exercice a le droit d’avoir un compte ou non sur Twitter.
Cela n’aide certainement pas la démocratie. https://t.co/QhDpMFQDBg— Aurore Bergé (@auroreberge) January 9, 2021
Same reservations for Cédric O. If the Secretary of State for Digital says that the ban on President Trump’s account can be justified in the urgency of the American situation, he considers that it poses fundamental questions.
“The regulation of public debate by the main social networks with regard only to their rules and conditions of use is at least a little short from a democratic point of view,” writes the top government official.
La fermeture du compte de Donald Trump par @Twitter, si elle peut se justifier par une forme de prophylaxie d’urgence, n’en pose pas moins des questions fondamentales. La régulation du débat public par les principaux réseaux sociaux au regard de leurs seuls CGU…
— Cédric O (@cedric_o) January 9, 2021
…alors qu’ils sont devenus de véritables espaces publics et rassemblent des milliards de citoyens, cela semble pour le moins un peu court d’un point de vue démocratique. Au-delà de la haine en ligne, nous avons besoin d’inventer une nouvelle forme de supervision démocratique.
— Cédric O (@cedric_o) January 9, 2021
Among Les Républicains, Constance Le Grip also points out, with dismay, the power of the “GAFA”, capable of deciding “alone” on “who can benefit from the right of expression.”
“Staggering”, or “disturbing”, in the words of the member for Hauts-de-Seine, while President Trump has built his popularity on the social network.
Stupéfiant!!Comment en sommes-nous arrivés là?!Que les GAFA décident seuls,hors de tout contrôle,de tout recours,de qui peut bénéficier du droit d’expression est inquiétant! https://t.co/88h3LwrLI0
— Constance Le Grip (@ConstanceLeGrip) January 9, 2021
At the National Rally, Marine Le Pen, Gilbert Collard and Louis Alliot also wave the spectre of the “gag order.”
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“In terms of attacks on freedom of expression in a ‘democracy’, this is the most serious ever committed. Warning! The gag of one can become the muzzle of the other,” writes the first on Twitter, while the second adds that “the purge of the digital giants against its supporters, should outrage any citizen attached to democracy.”
La suspension du compte de Trump, la purge des géants du numérique contre ses partisans, devraient indigner tout citoyen attaché à la démocratie.
Où s’arrêtera ce contrôle de toute opinion dissidente ? Qui, demain, sera effacé numériquement sans possibilité de se défendre ? MLP pic.twitter.com/iDdtD3yryS
— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) January 9, 2021
#Twitter suspend le compte de #Trump de façon permanente: dans l’ordre des atteintes portées à la liberté d’expression dans une “démocratie”, c’est la plus grave jamais commise. Attention ! Le bâillon de l’un peut devenir la muselière de l’autre ! Battons-nous contre la censure ! pic.twitter.com/N0hfrZFmRt
— Gilbert Collard (@GilbertCollard) January 9, 2021
Part of the left is displayed on the same line. “Trump’s behaviour cannot be used as a pretext for the GAFA ‘to arrogate the power to control public debate,” writes Jean-Luc Mélenchon, when François Ruffin considers Twitter’s decision “scandalous.” “Tomorrow, it will be for all of us, this digital and private censorship”, the deputy of the Somme warns.
