US judge quashes Donald Trump's lawsuit challenging his Twitter account suspension

After Donald Trump's Twitter account was permanently banned in the aftermath of the Capitol riots last year, a United States judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the former US President challenging the ban. US District Judge James Donato claimed on Friday that Trump has failed to establish the fact that Twitter has breached his First Amendment - right to free speech, Associated Press reported. The judge further stated that free speech rights do not apply to private firms, and Trump failed to prove that Twitter was operating as a state actor on behalf of Democrats. 

According to the Associated Press report, Donato claimed, “The amended complaint merely offers a grab-bag of allegations to the effect that some Democratic members of Congress wanted Mr. Trump, and ‘the views he espoused,’ to be banned from Twitter because such ‘content and views’ were ‘contrary to those legislators’ preferred points of view’”. Donato went on to say that however, the remarks of a few elected officials are, “a far cry from a ‘rule of decision for which the State is responsible.’ Legislators are perfectly free to express opinions without being deemed the official voice of ‘the State.’” 

Furthermore, the ex-POTUS had requested a preliminary injunction against Twitter, claiming that members of Congress "coerced" the social media platform to ban the account, which had tens of millions of followers, Sky News reported.  

Trump was barred from Twitter after his supporters stormed Capitol Hill

It is pertinent to mention here that Trump was barred from the microblogging and social networking site last year after his supporters stormed Capitol Hill in Washington following him losing the Presidential election to Joe Biden. Trump was also banned from key social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube as a result of the event, which culminated in widespread violence. 

In July 2021, Trump filed a lawsuit against Twitter, Facebook, and Google's YouTube, alleging that they had unlawfully censored him, Associated Press reported.  

After being suspended from the social media platforms, Trump has launched his own social network, Truth Social. He claimed last week that if given the chance, he would not return to Twitter. 

In addition to this, the lawsuit sought to restore Trump's account, which had 89 million followers, as well as the accounts of five other people who claimed they had been restricted by Twitter. On behalf of those removed from the site, the group requested unspecified damages and class-action status. According to Associated Press, a declaration that 'Section 230' of the 1996 Communications Decency Act was unlawful was also requested in the complaint. 

According to the act, service providers like Twitter can monitor their services by eliminating obscene messages that violate their guidelines, and they cannot be held liable for information uploaded by others.  

Donato further noted that Trump had simply made a "vague and speculative allegation" that he would not have been barred if Twitter had not been granted protection under Section 230. Moreover, Trump was given another chance to alter his lawsuit by Donato. 

(Image: AP)