No Free Speech: Judge Rules Twitter Bans Users 'At Any Time, for Any Reason'

06-19-2018

A California judge has ruled that Twitter can be sued for falsely advertising free speech.

Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn said the social media giant's policy of banning users "at any time, for any reason or for no reason" may constitute an "unconscionable contract" for a company which advertises free speech, Bloomberg reports.

The ruling came in a lawsuit from Jared Taylor, a self-described "white activist" who was banned from Twitter last year.

Kahn rejected Twitter's motion to dismiss the suit, noting the social media company falsely advertises free speech, yet bans users for "any or no reason."

The judge also ruled that Twitter could be sued on the basis of misleading its users. He noted that Twitter violates its own policy by failing to honor its promises not to ban accounts on the basis of political viewpoints or affiliation.

"Our lawsuit is not about whether Taylor is right or wrong," Taylor's lawyer said in February. "It's about whether Twitter and other technology companies have the right to ban individuals from using their services based on their perceived viewpoints and affiliations."

Twitter employees have been caught on camera boasting about keeping conservatives and Trump supporters off the platform.

One employee even discussed shadowbanning political accounts, which Twitter denies doing. Another said user accounts that supported "God, guns, and America" were flagged as "bots."

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