Trump blocks critics from his Twitter account; there’s no freedom of speech

As cybersecurity specialists reported, a New York-based federal court has ruled that U.S. President Donald Trump violates his country’s freedom of speech laws by blocking his critics on the social network Twitter.

The court’s ruling follows a case brought by seven people who were blocked by President Trump. The judge in charge of this process mentioned that government officials using social media will not be able to silence or block other users of online platforms, regardless of their political or ideological orientation.  

According to cybersecurity experts, Donald Trump’s defense alleged that the president blocked users from his personal Twitter account, so it should not be subject to the regulations established by the federal court. “We are disappointed by this ruling, we will soon be looking for new ways forward,” said a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) official.

The judge in charge mentioned that, in accordance with the provisions of the U.S. First Constitutional Amendment, it was decided that officials who use social media, no matter what purpose, should allow dialogue with citizens through any communication channel of whether people share their opinion or not.

The ruling was released after a court decided last year that the president’s Twitter account (@realDonaldTrump) should be considered a public forum.

The lawsuit against President Trump was filed by the U.S. Knight First Amendment Institution, a non-governmental organization fighting for cybersecurity and freedom of speech in the digital age. After learning about the ruling, Jameel Jaffer, director of the Institute, stated: “The social media accounts of public officials are now considered the most relevant public policy discussion forums, it was vital that the authorities ensure the full access to these platforms. Thanks to this decision, no one can be excluded just because they have a different point of view, and public officials will be able to be more aware of the feelings of the citizens.”

Experts from the International Cyber Security Institute (IICS) mention that President Trump has already unlocked more than 70 people, however, well-known figures such as model Chrissy Teigen and writer Stephen King are still unable to access the account of the president’s Twitter.