Former US President Donald Trump sued Twitter, Facebook, and Google, as well as their CEOs, alleging that they illegally stifle conservative voices.
The claims, which were filed in U.S. District Court in Miami, claim that the social media sites infringed on the First Amendment’s right to freedom of speech.
The complaints are seeking class action status, which means Trump would represent the interests of other social media users who claim they have been unfairly silenced.
Trump filed three cases, one against Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, one against Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey, and one against Google and its CEO Sundar Pichai.
At a news conference in New Jersey, Trump said, “We will achieve a historic triumph for American freedom and, at the same time, freedom of speech.”
When it comes to censorship, Trump tried to depict social media corporations as being subject to the same First Amendment responsibilities as government agencies.
The lawsuits are requesting that the court order the media corporations to reinstate Trump on their platforms. They also want the court to declare Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act unconstitutional, which prevents digital companies from being held accountable for anything users publish on their platforms.
Read more on Tech Gist Africa:
Donald Trump plans to launch his own social media platform in the coming months, Adviser Says
After the president’s tweet was deleted, Nigeria banned Twitter
Here’s a recap of the Facebook, Twitter, and Google CEOs’ hearings before the US Congress