Trump Signs Executive Order on Social Media Companies
Evan Vucci/AP
We ran the numbers: There are 1063 news articles covering this topic. 42% (449) are left leaning, 35% (372) center, 23% (242) right leaning.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting social media companies, just days after Twitter called two of his tweets “potentially misleading.” While left-leaning articles highlight that tech companies are pushing back on Trump’s order, right-leaning articles highlight that the president’s order would cut some federal funding for tech companies.
CNN published a left-leaning article highlighting that tech companies are pushing back on Trump’s order, as Facebook and Google claim Trump’s proposal risks harming the internet and digital economy. The move also highlights what Trump believes is a fight worth having, as it feeds into Trump’s narrative that there are powerful forces in the media against him.
A centrist article by USA Today reports that at the heart of Trump’s executive order is the Communications Decency Act, which provides broad immunity to websites that curate and moderate their own platforms. The article states that there are ample reasons why the executive order is unlikely to succeed, as it must be treated as the intent of Congress, which has done nothing so far to change it.
Fox News published a right-leaning article highlighting that the president’s executive order would cut federal funding for tech companies that engage in censorship and political conduct and remove statutory liability protections. The article notes that the order requests the attorney general to establish a “working group” with consultation with state attorneys general that would discuss enforcement of state statutes.
From the center
Trump executive order retaliates against Twitter but no one is defending free speech
USA Today