On Friday, Twitter clarified its policies and posted an explanation of why the social media website will not be blocking “world leaders,” The Washington Post reports.
In the blog post, Twitter wrote, “Elected world leaders play a critical role in that conversation because of their outsized impact on our society.”
While Twitter doesn’t specifically mention President Trump, Twitter added, “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.”
According to ABC News, Twitter’s blog post comes only three days after Trump’s tweet about the “nuclear button.”
“North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times,’” Trump wrote. “Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!”
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
Since the “nuclear button” tweet, Trump critics were quick to point out that his tweet was in violation of Twitter’s policies and called for Trump to be suspended, ABC News reports.
Just earlier this week, according to The Post, protesters gathered outside of Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco and projected that either Trump or Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey “must go.”
Similar claims have been previously made against some of Trump’s tweets, but in this case, as well as the previous ones, Twitter said that since the tweets were “newsworthy” and of public interest, they would not be removed from the website, The Post reports. Ultimately, Twitter’s new explanation expands on this idea of “newsworthiness.”
“We review tweets by leaders within the political context that defines them, and enforce our rules accordingly,” Twitter said in its latest explanation. “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.”