Donald Trump cannot block, but he can mute, Twitter users, says judge
A US judge has ruled that Twitter is a public forum and that Trump blocking users violated their first amendment right to free speech
New York — On Wednesday, a US judge in New York ruled that US President Donald Trump may not legally block Twitter users from his account on the social media platform based on their political views. Trump has made his @RealDonaldTrump Twitter account an integral and controversial part of his presidency, using it to promote his agenda, announce policy and attack critics. He has blocked many critics from his account, which prevents them from directly responding to his tweets. US district judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan ruled that comments on the president’s account, and those of other government officials, were public forums, and that blocking Twitter users for their views violated their right to free speech under the first amendment of US constitution. Eugene Volokh, a University of California Los Angeles School of Law professor, who specialises in First Amendment issues, said the decision’s effect would reach beyond Trump. "It would end up applying to a wide range of governm...
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