Donald Trump uses UN address to warn social media giants against ‘blacklisting’ conservatives and tells the world to be ‘skeptical’ of anyone who wants control over free speech
- Utilizing his platform at the United Nations General Assembly, Donald Trump put social media giants on blast
- He warned against ‘silencing’ and ‘blacklisting’ political opinions that are unpopular in Silicon Valley – where most social media sites are headquartered
- The president has often voiced his disdain over social media platforms silencing conservative voices
- He warned the global audience at UNGA that social media is threatening free speech, even in ‘free nations’
- Last week, Trump met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in the Oval Office
- He has also previously met with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey
Donald Trump put America’s social media giants on notice during a United Nations address on Tuesday that the U.S. government will push back against online tech giants ‘silencing, coercing, canceling or blacklisting’ political opinions that don’t rate high in Silicon Valley.
‘A small number of social media platforms are acquiring immense power over what we can see and over what we are allowed to say,’ Trump told foreign leaders.
He said he is aggressively cracking down on the biggest platforms that play political favorites online, and encouraging other nations to follow suit.
‘A free society cannot allow social media giants to silence the voices of the people,’ he said, ‘and a free people must never, ever be enlisted in the cause of silencing, coercing, canceling or blacklisting their own neighbors.’
Donald Trump blasted U.S. social media platforms during his remarks at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday. ‘A free society cannot allow social media giants to silence the voices of the people,’ he asserted
He told the room full of foreign leaders and a global audience that even ‘free nations’ are experiencing challenges to liberty and free speech from social media
Trump met last week with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg (right) in the Oval Office. A White House official said the topic of ‘bias came up’ during their meeting
‘My administration has made clear to social media companies that we will uphold the right of free speech,’ he declared.
The president often complains about anti-conservative bias at Twitter, Facebook and Google.
He met last week with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. A White House official said the topic of ‘bias came up.’ Trump has also sat down for a talk with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
The president on Tuesday raised social media in the context of condemning oppressive nations that control what their population can read, see and hear, and whose technological advances have the potential to limit freedom of speech.
‘A permanent political class is openly disdainful, dismissive and defiant of the will of the people,’ he continued. ‘A faceless bureaucracy operates in secret and weakens democratic rule. Media and academic institutions push flat-out assaults on our histories, traditions and values.’
‘Freedom and democracy must be constantly guarded and protected abroad, and from within,’ he said.
‘We must always be skeptical about those who want conformity and control. Even in free nations we see alarming signs and new challenges to liberty.’