The decision is a victory for Twitter, which asked Judge James Donato of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to dismiss the lawsuit.
Rejecting Trump’s case, Donato said Twitter did not act as an agent of the US government – as Trump claims – when it closed his account and therefore did not violate Trump’s First Amendment rights to freedom of speech.
“The amended complaint does not plausibly claim a First Amendment claim against Twitter,” the ruling said. “The plaintiffs’ first lawsuit is dismissed.” Donato also dismissed other allegations by Trump, such as that Section 230 – the law that protects technology platforms from litigation for most consumer-generated content – is unconstitutional.
Twitter declined to comment on the rejection of the lawsuit.
Trump may continue to pursue the case, with Donato deciding he can file an amended appeal, although the ruling also says Trump will not be allowed to add new legal claims.
After Trump filed the lawsuit, billionaire Elon Musk tried to buy Twitter for $ 44 billion. Musk said he wanted to restore “freedom of speech” on the platform, and conservatives believe Trump could be restored under Musk’s ownership of the platform. Trump has said he will not return to Twitter, even if his account is restored, highlighting his new venture on social media Truth Social.
Add Comment