The real reason Twitter permanently banned Trump

In a remarkable move, Twitter has permanently banned US President Donald Trump from the platform. 

The social network announced its decision days after a pro-Trump riot stormed the US Capitol Building on 6 January, leaving five dead including a police officer. “After close review of recent tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter said in a statement Friday.

After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.https://t.co/CBpE1I6j8Y

— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 8, 2021

When the pro-Trump mob broke into the US Capitol building Wednesday, the rioters disrupted Congress’ certification of Joe Biden as the President-elect. Twitter responded by restricting the President's account after he tweeted more lies about the election being stolen. Twitter found he “repeated severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy” and blocked his ability to tweet for 12 hours.

At the time, Twitter also warned President Trump he could be permanently banned if he continued to violate its rules.

However, once he regained control of his account, he sent more messages to confirm he will not attend the Inauguration of Biden. He also referred to his supporters as "American Patriots" in tweets. Some say pro-Trump supporters could view those tweets as a walk-back of his claims Thursday, when he finally admitted there would be an “orderly transition” of power on 20 January.

The President specifically told his supporters on Friday they will have a “GIANT VOICE long into the future", and they "will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!” Some say his supporters could perceive the messages as a confirmation the election was not legitimate, and that he admires his supporters for committing violent acts at the US Capitol in his name.

As a result, Twitter surmised Friday President Trump's latest tweets since regaining full control of his Twitter account were “highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts”.

Here is a portion of Twitter's lengthy explanation to the public, published in a blog post Friday:

“Due to the ongoing tensions in the United States, and an uptick in the global conversation in regards to the people who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, these two tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks."

Also Friday, more than 300 Twitter employees signed an internal petition calling for President Trump to be permanently banned. “We must examine Twitter’s complicity in what President-Elect Biden has rightly termed insurrection. Those acts jeopardize the wellbeing of the United States, our company, and our employees,” the employees wrote, The Wall Street Journal reported.

As for other social networks, Facebook on Thursday put an “indefinite” ban on President Trump that could last through to Inauguration Day.

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