Donald Trump blocking accounts on Twitter 'violates US Constitution'

The president has repeatedly sought to avoid criticism by banning people from his account

President Donald Trump's tweeter feed (J. David Ake/AP)

Donald Trump is using his Twitter account to break the law, according to a free speech institute.

A prominent group has written to the present demanding that he stop blocking accounts and unblock those ones that have already done so. If he doesn't, he will be breaking the First Amendment of the US Constitution, the letter claims.

Mr Trump's personal account has recently taken to blocking a number of accounts that replied to his tweets with commentary that criticised, mocked or disagreed with his actions. Twitter users are unable to see or respond to tweets from accounts that block them.

The move was apparently an attempt to put a stop to the frequently embarrassing and critical tweets that appear under his regular postings.

The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University in New York said in its letter that the blocking suppressed speech in a public forum protected by the Constitution.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Twitter said it had no comment.

Alex Abdo, the institute's senior staff attorney, likened Twitter to a modern form of town hall meeting or public comment periods for government agency proposals, both venues where US law requires even-handed treatment of speech.

Eric Goldman, a Santa Clara University law professor who focuses on internet law, said that previous cases involving politicians blocking users on Facebook supported the Knight Institute's position.

If the institute should sue, Trump could claim his @realDonaldTrump account is for personal use and separate from his official duties as president, Goldman said. But he called that defense “laughable.”

Trump also has a presidential @POTUS Twitter account. The Knight Institute said its arguments would apply with “equal force” to both accounts.

Trump's Twitter use has drawn intense media attention for his unvarnished commentary about his agenda and attacks on critics. His tweets are often retweeted tens of thousands of times, and can shape the news cycle.

Legal experts have said his tweets may directly affect policy. A chain of postings about his travel ban may hamper his administration's defence in courts.

The letter said Trump or his aides blocked the accounts @AynRandPaulRyan and @joepabike, belonging to songwriter Holly O'Reilly and professional cyclist and author Joseph M. Papp, respectively.

O'Reilly was blocked on 28 May after posting a brief animated clip of Pope Francis appearing uncomfortable during a meeting with Trump with a caption, “this is pretty much how the whole world sees you,” the letter said.

Papp learned he was blocked on June 4 after responding to a Trump tweet with a tweet labelling the president a “#fake leader.”

The accounts are just two of several that have been blocked by Trump or his aides, Abdo said.

Additional reporting by Reuters