The following can be attributed to Computer & Communication Industry Association President Matt Schruers in response to numerous digital services suspending accounts involved in the incitement of violence, including by President Donald Trump, on their platforms:
“Private companies taking action against bad actors that misuse their services to incite violence have a First Amendment right to do so – even when the bad actor engaged in misconduct is the President of the United States.
“App stores, webhosts, and other intermediaries confronted with such misconduct are similarly protected by our established principles of free expression. The First Amendment does not protect the Government from members of the public; it protects members of the public from the Government.
“Congress wisely encouraged these actions to safeguard the trust and safety of users and the public at large through Section 230 in the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which enables digital services to address dangerous or problematic content and behavior without risk that they will be sued for doing so.”
