Trump Offers Up Some Suggestions after Twitter Starts Getting Rid of Fake Accounts
President Donald Trump suggested Saturday that amid Twitter’s process of wiping out fake accounts, his signature social media platform shouldn’t forget the fake news media.
“Twitter is getting rid of fake accounts at a record pace. Will that include the Failing New York Times and propaganda machine for Amazon, the Washington Post, who constantly quote anonymous sources that, in my opinion, don’t exist – They will both be out of business in 7 years!” Trump posted.
Twitter is getting rid of fake accounts at a record pace. Will that include the Failing New York Times and propaganda machine for Amazon, the Washington Post, who constantly quote anonymous sources that, in my opinion, don’t exist – They will both be out of business in 7 years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 7, 2018
Twitter has been purging roughly 1 million accounts per day, according to a report in The Washington Post.
The Post said more than 70 million accounts were wiped away during May and June and that Twitter has continued that same pace in July.
Twitter Vice President for Trust and Safety Del Harvey said the social media giant only recently has been able to have the resources and technology in place to aggressively fight what he believes are accounts that violate its standards.
“One of the biggest shifts is in how we think about balancing free expression versus the potential for free expression to chill someone else’s speech,” Harvey said. “Free expression doesn’t really mean much if people don’t feel safe.”
Some have said that certain accounts, by their level of activity, show they are bots.
“When you have an account tweeting over a thousand times a day, there’s no question that it’s a bot,” said Samuel C. Woolley, research director at the Digital Intelligence Lab at the Institute for the Future. “Twitter has to be doing more to prevent the amplification and suppression of political ideas.”
While Twitter was waging its war against voices for which it does not want to provide a platform, Trump was resuming his battle against fake news.
After last week’s attack at a Maryland newspaper in which five people were killed, the president said journalists deserved to be able to work safely.
However, he has emphasized this week that he also expects them to report the news accurately.
On Tuesday, Trump had lashed out at The Washington Post over its use of anonymous sources in stories it writes that are critical of Trump and his administration.
“The Washington Post is constantly quoting ‘anonymous sources’ that do not exist. Rarely do they use the name of anyone because there is no one to give them the kind of negative quote that they are looking for. They are a disgrace to journalism but then again, so are many others!” Trump tweeted.
The Washington Post is constantly quoting “anonymous sources” that do not exist. Rarely do they use the name of anyone because there is no one to give them the kind of negative quote that they are looking for. They are a disgrace to journalism but then again, so are many others!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2018
After having written many best selling books, and somewhat priding myself on my ability to write, it should be noted that the Fake News constantly likes to pore over my tweets looking for a mistake. I capitalize certain words only for emphasis, not b/c they should be capitalized!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2018
“I see the way they write. They’re so damn dishonest,” Trump said Thursday night during a Montana rally, according to The Hill.
“And I don’t mean all of them, because some of the finest people I know are journalists really. Hard to believe when I say that. I hate to say it, but I have to say it. But 75 percent of those people are downright dishonest. Downright dishonest. They’re fake. They’re fake,” Trump said.
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