Representative Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) responded to the news that Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will be stepping down from his position as Twitter’s CEO, saying that she hopes that the social media company’s next CEO is someone who values free speech.
“He’s been a disaster,” Boebert wrote on Twitter, the same platform she’s criticizing. “Hopefully someone who believes in free speech and our Constitution will take the reins and reinstate the tons of Americans unfairly banned.”
Jack Dorsey is rumored to be stepping down as Twitter CEO.
Great.
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He’s been a disaster.
Hopefully someone who believes in free speech and our Constitution will take the reins and reinstate the tons of Americans unfairly banned.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) November 29, 2021
Other Twitter users soon pointed out that Twitter is a private company and that when you agree to the company’s terms of service, you have to abide by their rules to use the platform. Free speech violations concern actions by the government, not private companies.
You still won’t be able to say whatever you want on Twitter 🙄
Terms of service aren’t against the constitution.
— ¢ð•ð• ð•Ÿð•Ÿð•šâ€™s ð•‹ð•¨ð• â„‚ð•–ð•Ÿð•¥sâ„¢ ¢ (@JonnisTwoCents) November 29, 2021
Twitter isn't the government, and a private company. They are not bound to the text in the First Amendment or the Fourteenth Amendment and don't have to be neutral to you, or anyone with or without Jack.
Manhattan v Halleck
Majority opinion: Kavanaugh pic.twitter.com/UrCE0jPSIu
— Sergio Vengeance 🇺🇲🎮🤘 (@SergioVengeance) November 29, 2021
Hopefully that person will actually enforce their terms of service for you and a your friends who consistently abuse the platform.
— Ed Duco (@HardBoiledEddie) November 29, 2021
You really don't understand how this all works, do you?
— T. witter's ucking me again. (@Blacksmitheart) November 29, 2021
Boebert’s remarks on “unfair” bans echo sentiments expressed by former President Donald Trump, who has continued to rail against “fake news†and media coverage he’s perceived to be unfavorable to him and his administration.
In 2018 he claimed Twitter is “SHADOW BANNING prominent Republicans†in response to a news story that alleged accounts owned by Republicans were showing up in a general search of the website but not automatically populating when typing their names in the drop-down bar. Twitter later issued a response, attributing the issue to a platform bug. There is no evidence that Twitter holds a bias against conservative accounts.
Dorsey announced he will step down, news that led the company’s stock to rise 11 percent.
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.