Twitter blocks Trump campaign from tweeting for spreading COVID-19 misinformation
Twitter has banned President Donald Trump's campaign account (@teamtrump) from tweeting on Wednesday for sharing of misinformation about COVID-19.
The social media platform said that the president would be blocked from tweeting until he removes the incorrect posts.
The Post reported:
President Trump’s tweet of a video clip from a Fox News interview — in which he said that children are “almost immune” from covid-19 — violates the site’s rules against misinformation, the company said. Twitter hid the post and said he will not be able to tweet from his account until he deletes it, although he can appeal the decision.
While children are less vulnerable to some of the most severe effects of COVID-19, and they are less likely to die from the infection than adults are, it is not true that they are "immune" or close to it. They can catch and spread the virus, and some suffer severe symptoms as a result.
Facebook likewise took down a post from the president on Wednesday sharing the misinformation about COVID-19.
Twitter has previously angered the president by restricting his tweets on different grounds. One tweet was concealed for "glorifying violence," while another was flagged for containing misinformation about voting.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) cheered the decision:
Dear @realDonaldTrump: I’m pleased @Twitter is preventing you from spreading harmful misinformation about the virus… https://t.co/0lSNg6lxO4— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu)1596674071.0
Correction: This piece has been updated to clarify that it was Trump's campaign account, not his personal account, that was blocked.
