SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc on Friday reiterated its stance that accounts belonging to world leaders have special status on the social media network, pushing back against users who have called on the company to banish U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate,” Twitter said in a post on a corporate blog. (Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) </s> SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twitter Inc on Friday reiterated its stance that accounts belonging to world leaders have special status on the social media network, pushing back against users who have called on the company to banish U.S. President Donald Trump.

FILE PHOTO: The masthead of U.S. President Donald Trump's @realDonaldTrump Twitter account is seen on July 11, 2017. @realDonaldTrump/Handout/File Photo via REUTERS

“Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate,” Twitter said in a post on a corporate blog.

Twitter had already said in September that “newsworthiness” and whether a tweet is “of public interest” are among the factors it considers before removing an account or a tweet.

The debate over Trump’s tweeting, though, raged anew after Trump said from his @realDonaldTrump account on Tuesday that he had a “much bigger” and “more powerful” nuclear button than North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Critics said that tweet and Trump’s continued presence on the network endanger the world and violate Twitter’s ban on threats of violence. Some users protested at Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters on Wednesday.

Twitter responded in its blog post that even if it did block a world leader, doing so would not silence that leader.

The company said that it does review tweets by world leaders and enforces its rules accordingly, leaving open the possibility that it could take down some material posted by them.

“No one person’s account drives Twitter’s growth, or influences these decisions,” the company added. “We work hard to remain unbiased with the public interest in mind.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Twitter’s statement.

Some Twitter users expressed support for the company’s decision, while others complained of a double standard.

“If I tweeted half of what Trump has since he entered office, I’d be permanently banned from this platform,” a Twitter user wrote from the account @michaelranaii. </s> Washington: Twitter has announced it would not block the accounts of world leaders even if their statements are "controversial," citing a need to promote a "public conversation" on political issues.

The announcement came just days after a tweet from President Donald Trump hinting at the use of US nuclear weapons sparked criticism that the social network was allowing threats of violence.

"Twitter is here to serve and help advance the global, public conversation. Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society," the California-based company said in a blog post.

"Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate. It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions."

Twitter made no specific reference to Trump or his tweet this week saying he has a "nuclear button" which is "bigger and more powerful" than that of North Korea's.

Some activists said Twitter should have banned Trump and one group projected images on the company's headquarters with a message "@jack is #complicit," a reference to chief executive Jack Dorsey and "Ban @realDonaldTrump."

The group called Resistance SF accused Dorsey of "endangering the world" and violating its own rules by not banning Trump.

Friday's announcement comes less than a month after Twitter began enforcing new rules aimed at filtering out "hateful" and "abusive" content on the social network, including messages which promote or glorify violence.

Twitter, which has struggled to maintain an open platform without allowing violence or hate speech, said at the time it would not cut off accounts for military or government entities.

The statement left open the possibility however that Twitter could remove specific tweets from political leaders which violate its policies.

"We review tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly," the statement said.

"No one person's account drives Twitter's growth, or influences these decisions. We work hard to remain unbiased with the public interest in mind." </s> (WCMH) — Twitter released a statement Friday after many have asked the social network to block the account of President Trump or delete his controversial tweets.

There’s been a lot of discussion about political figures and world leaders on Twitter, and we want to share our stance.

Twitter is here to serve and help advance the global, public conversation. Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society.

Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets, would hide important information people should be able to see and debate. It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.

We review Tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly. No one person’s account drives Twitter’s growth, or influences these decisions. We work hard to remain unbiased with the public interest in mind.

We are working to make Twitter the best place to see and freely discuss everything that matters. We believe that’s the best way to help our society make progress. </s> In recent days, more Twitter users than ecver have been calling to censor the Twitter account of President Donald Trump.

The fresh wave of insistence comes after the POTUS posted a tweet directed at North Korean leader Kim Jung-Un.

In the tweet, the US President compared the size of his nuclear power button to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s after the leader of North Korea stated in a New Year’s Day speech that he has a nuclear detonator button on his desk.

Trump chose to retaliate and remind the ‘food starved regime’ that he too has a ‘big and powerful’ button.

Twitter has responded to the criticism by saying that it will not silence the voices of world leaders.

'Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society,' reads a post on Twitter's blog.

'Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate.'

'It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.' </s> Twitter has said it has no intention of baning world leaders, following calls to throw Donald Trump off the social network.

The platform has faced criticism following tweets by the US President which seemingly threaten nuclear strikes against North Korea.

Activists have lobbied Twitter to remove Trump's account, and the words 'Be a Hero: Ban Trump' were projected on the company's headquarters this week.

And Twitter chief Jack Dorsey has been accused of 'amplifying a madman and endangering the world'.

The network has resisted calls to silence the President, saying his words do not violate its rules.

It follows a tweet in which Trump declared that his red button was bigger than North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's.

In a statement, Twitter chiefs said: "There’s been a lot of discussion about political figures and world leaders on Twitter, and we want to share our stance.

"Twitter is here to serve and help advance the global, public conversation. Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society."

It continued: "Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets, would hide important information people should be able to see and debate.

"It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.

"We review Tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly. No one person's account drives Twitter’s growth, or influences these decisions. We work hard to remain unbiased with the public interest in mind.

"We are working to make Twitter the best place to see and freely discuss everything that matters. We believe that’s the best way to help our society make progress."

Action group Resistance SF, which held a protest outside Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, accused Twitter of giving Trump a 'megaphone' to threaten war.

In a Facebook post it said: Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, needs to stand up and do the right thing. The employees of Twitter need to stand up and do the right thing."

Last week Trump wrote on Twitter: "I use Social Media not because I like to, but because it is the only way to fight a VERY dishonest and unfair “press,” now often referred to as Fake News Media." </s> • Some people say Twitter should suspend President Donald Trump's account after a controversial tweet earlier this week seemed to threaten nuclear action against North Korea.
• Twitter explained in a blog post on Friday why it hadn't suspended Trump's account, saying people "should be able to see and debate" his tweets.
• Twitter also disputed the notion that it hadn't taken action against Trump because his tweets are good for the company's bottom line.



 On Friday, Twitter published a short blog post explaining why it won't be suspending President Donald Trump's personal account, though it did not mention him by name.

"Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate," the post said. "It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions."

A provocative tweet on Tuesday night from Trump that some perceived as threatening nuclear action against North Korea reignited the debate over whether Twitter should suspend or take other action against the president's account.

At the time, Twitter said the tweet did not violate its terms of service.

People protesting outside Twitter's San Francisco headquarters earlier this week urged CEO Jack Dorsey to suspend Trump's account, calling Dorsey "complicit" for not doing so.

"We review Tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly," Twitter's blog post says.

Basically: You might not agree with Trump's tweets, but since they are the from the US president, the rules are a little bit different from those for other users.

Also of note is that the blog post disputes a long-running criticism that Twitter allows Trump to continue using the platform even after perceived violations of its terms because the response to his tweets drives people to use the service.

"No one person's account drives Twitter's growth, or influences these decisions," the post says.

The post is attributed not to any Twitter executive or employee, but to "Twitter, Inc."

This is the first official response from Twitter on its policy regarding Trump and other world leaders. Last year, however, Dorsey explained his reasoning for allowing Trump to keep using the social network.

"I think it's really important that we maintain open channels to our leaders, whether we like what they're saying or not, because I don't know of another way to hold them accountable," Dorsey told Backchannel in April. "Anytime we have any leader tweet, including Trump, there's a very interesting and thriving conversation. A mixture of fact checking, disagreement, agreement, and some random things."

"There's been a lot of discussion about political figures and world leaders on Twitter, and we want to share our stance.

"Twitter is here to serve and help advance the global, public conversation. Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society.

"Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets, would hide important information people should be able to see and debate. It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions.

"We review Tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly. No one person's account drives Twitter's growth, or influences these decisions. We work hard to remain unbiased with the public interest in mind.

"We are working to make Twitter the best place to see and freely discuss everything that matters. We believe that's the best way to help our society make progress." </s> NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge in New York on Wednesday ruled that President Donald Trump may not legally block Twitter users because doing so violates their rights under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

The ruling by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan came in response to a lawsuit filed against Trump in July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and several Twitter users.

Trump was a prolific tweeter from his @RealDonaldTrump account before becoming president and since has used it to promote his agenda, announce policy and attack critics and the investigation of possible Russian connections to his presidential campaign.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice, which represents the president in the case, had no immediate comment. Twitter also did not immediately comment.

The plaintiffs have said Trump’s Twitter account creates a public forum and that the president cannot block other users simply because they criticize him in replies to his tweets.

Twitter, a social media platform, lets users post short texts, called tweets, to which other users may respond. </s> The shocking ruling came after the US president barred several online users for mocking or criticising him. Mr Trump has made his @RealDonaldTrump Twitter account an integral part of his presidency as he has often used it to promote his agenda, attack critics or even announce important policies and events, including the historical meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. But now his use of Twitter may come back to haunt him, as US District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in Manhattan ruled that Mr Trump and other government officials’ accounts qualify as public forums. In her 75-page statement, the judge wrote: “The president presents the @realDonaldTrump account as being a presidential account as opposed to a personal account and, more importantly, uses the account to take actions that can be taken only by the president as president.”

Preventing someone from replying to the officials’ tweets by blocking them would mean breaching the First Amendment, which grant freedom of speech. The judge explained: “This case requires us to consider whether a public official may, consistent with the First Amendment, 'block' a person from his Twitter account in response to the political views that person has expressed, and whether the analysis differs because that public official is the President of the United States. “The answer to both questions is no.” The ruling followed the lawsuit filed against the US president in July by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, representing seven plaintiffs who have been blocked by the president.

Novelists Stephen King and Anne Rice, comedian Rosie O'Donnell, model Chrissy Teigen and political organised Holly O'Reilly said to be among the people blocked by the president. Ms O’Reilly was blocked last May after posting a GIF of Mr Trump being glared at by the Pope and the caption: “This is pretty much how the whole world sees you.” After being blocked she told Time Magazine that "it's like FDR took my radio away", referring to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Earlier in the trial, the judge advised Mr Trump to mute his critics, which would give them the possibility to reply to him without him having to read them, or just ignore them.

She also issued a warning to Mr Trump, adding: “Because no government official is above the law and because all government officials are presumed to follow the law once the judiciary has said what the law is, we must assume that the president and digital director Dan Scavino will remedy the blocking we have held to be unconstitutional.” The US Department of Justice, which represented Trump in the case, said: "We respectfully disagree with the court's decision and are considering our next steps." Twitter Inc, which is not a party to the lawsuit, declined to comment on the ruling.
Twitter, in response to criticism over its handling of U.S. President Donald Trump's account, says it will not block world leaders or remove their controversial tweets.