Washington - A free-speech group said on
Tuesday it sued US President Donald Trump for blocking Twitter
users from his @realDonaldTrump account, arguing the practice
violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
The lawsuit, brought by the Knight First Amendment Institute
at Columbia University in New York and joined by seven
individual Twitter users, claims Trump blocked a number of
accounts whose owners replied to his tweets with comments that
criticized, mocked or disagreed with the president.
Trump's blocking of those accounts amounts to an
unconstitutional effort to suppress dissent, the lawsuit claims.
Because Trump frequently turns to Twitter to make policy
statements, his account qualifies as a public forum from which
the government cannot exclude people on the basis of their
views, the suit alleges. Twitter users are unable to see or
respond to tweets from accounts that block them.
The White House could not be immediately reached for
comment. Last month White House spokesman Sean Spicer said
Trump's tweets were considered "official statements by the
president of the United States."
The complaint follows a letter from the Knight Institute
sent to Trump last month that warned of a suit if users were not
unblocked.
"Everyone being able to see the president's tweets feels
vital to democracy," Joseph Papp, one of the seven Twitter users
involved in the suit, said in a statement.
Papp, an author, said he had been a registered Republican
for 10 years and did not join the suit for political reasons,
but that he "felt a deep sense of unease" when he was blocked.
Trump's Twitter use has drawn media attention for his
unvarnished commentary about his agenda and attacks on critics.
His tweets often lead to tens of thousands of retweets and
comments and can shape the news.
Independent free speech and internet law scholars have said
the Knight Institute's arguments may have merit, in part because
Trump's tweets are used to announce policy decisions or can
influence legislation. Previous cases involving politicians
blocking users on Facebook may bolster its case.
The federal suit was filed in
the Southern District of New York.