Now that Trump has been banned, logic says social media must go further

Twitter and the like can’t just stop at banning Trump, they’ve opened the box now and, like it or not, the nettle must be grasped by human hands, not just algorithms, writes Chris Blackhurst

By moving against Trump they’ve underscored their weaknesses, not their strengths. They’re on a very slippery slope (AP)

Here is a strange phenomenon. Two companies take decisions that cause their share prices to plummet, wiping billions off their respective values – and their employees cheer.

Sounds weird, but that’s what happened when Twitter and Facebook barred Donald Trump after the Capitol invasion. Twitter’s stock immediately fell 4.5 per cent, losing $5bn, on the news. Facebook shares crashed 4.5 per cent, erasing $33.6bn in market capitalisation.

Meanwhile, staff at both social networks celebrated. Trump did not sit comfortably with their west coast, liberal, tech values, so good riddance – among their peers they could hold their heads up high. But it’s a funny business that bans one of its biggest customers, someone who acts as a draw for others, and to a certain section of society gives the enterprise a credibility it might not otherwise possess.