Donald trump’s paranoia and insecurities are getting dangerously close to demanding a round up all those who oppose, make fun of, and refuse to kiss his ring. On Thursday, Twitter filed a lawsuit in San Francisco which details how the company received a summons from U.S. government officials demanding records revealing the user behind an anti-Trump Twitter account. The anonymous account is supposedly run by federal immigration employees. Users of the Twitter account @ALT USCIS are protected under the First Amendment and are widely known for expressing their criticism of the Trump administration.
In the complaint, Twitter argues for the protection of the users’ identities and their First Amendment rights unless the government can demonstrate that there was some sort of criminal or civil offense committed. Twitter also questions the motivation or desire to suppress free speech, and mentions the defendants not even coming close to making any of those showings. One of the defendants, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, declined commenting on the litigation.
Standing up and not backing down
The anonymous Twitter users have 33,000 followers and are being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who will soon be filing on behalf of the users. The ACLU told Business Insider that they were pleased to see Twitter supporting its users’ rights and that the government must have a strong justification for unmasking people.
The organization states that the government has given no reason at all, leaving them to draw the conclusion that this is an attempt to stifle dissent.
Unmasking is good for the goose but not the gander
Interesting how the necessity to unmask or not unmask an individual is getting twisted and redefined to suit certain individuals’ desires.
The intelligence community do it as a matter of national security, not to find out who is being mean to them. Unmasking should not be used as a form of appeasing personal fragilities. Fortunately, social media companies like Twitter and the ACLU are not afraid to challenge those in power, who make demands that go against the very Constitution they are charged to uphold.
It is highly unlikely that Americans will sit idly by and allow their rights to be disregarded and trampled upon. It is highly unlikely that most Americans will buckle and shy away from speaking their minds.
