‘It’s problematic’ — Merkel faults Twitter’s ban on Trump

Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, has objected to the ban on President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, describing it as “problematic.”

According to Bloomberg, Steffen Seibert, her chief spokesman, questioned Twitter’s decision on Trump at a news conference in Berlin on Monday.

He quoted Merkel as stating that lawmakers should set the rules governing free speech and not tech companies.

“The chancellor sees the complete closing down of the account of an elected president as problematic,” Seiber said.

The spokesperson also added that his principal believes that rights like the freedom of speech “can be interfered with, but by law and within the framework defined by the legislature — not according to a corporate decision.”

TheCable had reported how thousands of American protesters loyal to the incumbent US president invaded the Capitol Hill during the process of certifying Joe Biden as the winner of the November 3 presidential election.

The development had immediately provoked backlash globally. It also had many blaming Trump for the five deaths that were recorded due to his Twitter commentaries and his public addresses that allegedly incited the violence.

Social media brands like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter had blocked his accounts to prevent further “incitements”.

The development was also condemned by some world leaders and prominent government officials including Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexican president.

“I don’t like anybody being censored or taking away from the right to post a message on Twitter or Face(book). I don’t agree with that, I don’t accept that,” Obrador had said on Thursday.

“How can you censor someone: ‘Let’s see, I, as the judge of the Holy Inquisition, will punish you because I think what you’re saying is harmful.

“Where is the law, where is the regulation, what are the norms? This is an issue of government, this is not an issue for private companies.”

Bruno Le Maire, the French finance minister, who re-echoed Merkel and Obrador’s stance, described big tech firms as “one of the threats” to democracy.

Eldee: Banning people on social media over their views is tyranny

On his part, Eldee, a Nigerian rapper, said that it’s “tyranny” to ban people on social media over their views.

He was speaking to his one million fans in a post shared on his Twitter handle in the early hours of Monday.

“Banning someone from a social media platform simply because you don’t agree with their opinions is a classic demonstration of tyranny,” the US-based musician wrote.

Announcing his ban on Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, had said: “Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden,”

“His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world.

“The risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.

“Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.”