Twitter’s Labels for Trump Tweets Show Platforms’ Split Over Political Speech

Twitter's move to label two tweets by President Donald Trump as misinformation highlights a widening divide among big tech platforms on how they handle political speech, an increasingly contentious issue as the U.S. presidential election approaches. Twitter's decision contrasts sharply with the position of Facebook which reviewed the same claim from the president on its platform and found it complied with its rules. Both companies for years have been reluctant to restrain speech by politicians and leaders on their platforms, seeking to avoid becoming what Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has described as the “arbiter of truth.” While Facebook has emphasized its commitment to a more hands-off approach stance, Twitter dropped political ads altogether and now is taking the unprecedented step of weighing in on the truth of statements by President Trump, its most powerful and controversial user. The perils of the approach were immediately apparent.