Trump Faces Lawsuit Over Executive Order Targeting Twitter - Advocacy Group

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd June, 2020) President Donald Trump faces a new lawsuit accusing him of breaking the First Amendment to the US Constitution by issuing an Executive Order targeting Twitter and other social media platforms for seeking to counter misinformation, the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) said in a release.

"Today, the Center for Democracy & Technology filed a law suit against President Trump's 'Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship,' signed May 28, 2020," the release said on Tuesday. "The suit argues that the Executive Order violates the First Amendment by curtailing and chilling the constitutionally protected speech of online platforms and individuals.

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CDT President and CEO Alexandra Givens said the Executive Order was designed to deter social media services from fighting misinformation, voter suppression and the stoking of violence on their platforms."

"CDT filed suit today because the President's actions are a direct attack on the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment. The government cannot and should not force online intermediaries into moderating speech according to the President's whims," Givens said.

Blocking the Executive Order was crucial for protecting freedom of speech and continuing important work to ensure the integrity of the 2020 election, Givens said.