Twitter has suspended Donald Trump Jr for posting misleading and potentially harmful information” about coronavirus.
According to reports, the President had share the same tweet but no longer appears and has been replaced with a message that it is “no longer available,” however; he is still able to tweet.
The suspension follows a current tension between Donald Trump and Twitter with the president claiming that Twitter promotes negative trends about him while faulting the platform’s approach to his post.
Twitter confirmed that it had temporarily locked Donald Trump Jr’s account.
A Twitter spokesperson said, “The Tweet is in violation of our COVID-19 misinformation policy,” adding: “The account will be locked until the account owner removes the Tweet.”
Other tweets including the video would be taken down because they are “in violation of our Covid-19 misinformation policy”, a spokesperson said, pointing to the public policy documents on its website that outline its rules around the disease.
Republican strategist and ally to the president’s oldest son, Andrew Surabian had first shared the news of the suspension claiming that the suspension was a demonstration that Twitter is a “threat to free expression” and that it was “continuing to engage in open election interference”, but posted a screenshot that made clear that the tweet in question had been banned over accusations of misinformation and that the sanctions would be temporary.
Trump Jr will not be able to tweet for the next 12 hours or use other features such as following other users or liking their posts, according to the screenshot shared by Mr. Surabian. The post in question has also seemingly been removed from his page.
The tweet in question falsely promoted the drug hydroxychloroquine as a cure for Covid-19. It included a video that showed people claiming to be doctors, who falsely argued that “you don’t need masks” and that studies showing that the drug may not be effective are “fake science”. .
