Why won’t Twitter ban Donald Trump? Because he’s its greatest asset

The social media company has sought to explain its policy over incendiary tweets from world leaders but the truth is the firm profits from them, writes James Moore

Hail to the tweeter-in-chief. Donald Trump is a huge asset for Twitter (AP)

You’re on watch world leaders. Tweet out something that violates Twitter’s terms and conditions and you’re going to be put on the naughty step. Or rather, your tweet will be put on the naughty step. #playnicenow

If it violates Twitter’s rules but there is a “clear public interest value to keeping the Tweet on the service” it will be placed behind a notice that “provides context about the violation” but allows people to click through and see it all the same.

They just won’t be able to like, or retweet it.

Of course, any accounts that promote terrorism, incite violence against individuals, post someone’s intimate photos or personal details, encourage self-harm or child sexual exploitation, will be subject to disciplinary action. Even if they’re the property of the leader of the free world or his rivals.

Otherwise, well: “When it comes to the actions of world leaders on Twitter, we recognise that this is largely new ground and unprecedented. We understand the desire for our decisions to be ‘yes/no’ binaries, but it’s not that simple. The actions we take and policies we develop will set precedent around online speech and we owe it to the people we serve to be deliberate and considered in what we do.” #yeahyeahyeah

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past three years or so you’ll be aware of the driving force behind Twitter’s blog post setting this out.

It’s the continuing controversy over some of the more incendiary outpourings of the Tweeter in chief, Donald Trump.

Earlier this month, Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, waded into the debate with a call on the company to suspend his account.

It followed his tweeting: “....If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal.” Pastor Robert Jeffress, @FoxNews”.

Harris declared: “When this kind of abuse is being spewed from the most powerful office in the United States, the stakes are too high to do nothing.”

But this was hardly the first such bellicose outpouring from the president. Nor will it be the last, especially with what looks set to be the nastiest presidential election since, well, the last one looming.

“Our goal is to enforce our rules judiciously and impartially. In doing so, we aim to provide direct insight into our enforcement decision-making, to serve public conversation, and protect the public’s right to hear from their leaders and to hold them to account,” said Twitter in its response.

I’ll give you 1000-1 against on Twitter using those rules, any rules, to rein or hold Trump to any sort of account. It’s simply not in its interests to do so.

Trump’s Twitter feed is a nuclear-powered controversy generation machine with global reach. Not a week goes by without something he tweets sparking a firestorm. And those firestorms generate clicks, and those clicks generate profit.

“We recognise that we’re operating in an increasingly complex and polarised political culture,” says Twitter.

That paragraph is astonishing for either its lack of self-awareness or for its deep cynicism.

Twitter, and its social media peers, have played a major role in the creation of that climate, which explains why they’re coming under pressure from more thoughtful politicians who are increasingly alarmed at the results.

They profit from it. Twitter’s shares have come off a bit of late but they’re still trading at around $40 (£31) having staged quite the rally since they were languishing at around $14 early in 2017.

The second-quarter results smashed through Wall Street’s estimates and, while there have been worries expressed about how its slimmed-down ad strategy might impact on the near term, the concerns about the viability of the business that were once commonplace have died down.

Trump has helped no end. He is in many ways the business’s greatest asset. I’d be amazed if any of his tweets ended up on the naughty step. There’s no way Twitter’s going to cramp his style.