In Singapore, it is illegal to spread false information, and published journals, articles, and books are scrutinised to ensure that the delicate balance of Singapore's multi-racial society is not upset. Protesting requires a permit from the government. In 2020, Reporters Without Borders ranked Singapore as 158th out of 180 surveyed countries in terms of freedom of the press.
The United States, on the other hand, ranked 45th on the same scale. There, the freedom of press, speech, religion, protest, and the right to bring up grievances with the government is protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution.
After the insurrection on the United States Capitol on the 6th of January, 2021, almost all of Donald Trump’s social media accounts - his main form of communication to the world - were banned or suspended from the platforms. These included his accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, Spotify, and others.
There are many levels to this issue. Firstly, is Trump’s incitement of violence protected under free speech? If not, where is the line drawn? And does getting barred from social networking platforms count as an infringement on freedom of speech?
The right to protest is granted as long as the protests are peaceful, a boundary which was clearly violated during the attacks on January 6th. Similarly, the right to freedom of speech is protected as long as the speech is peaceful. The latter is harder to judge, however.
Regardless, many people argue that getting banned from social media platforms does not count as an infringement on freedom of speech. Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are privately owned companies and have the right to ban any accounts on their respective platforms. On the other hand, it can be argued that restricting accounts on social media is restricting one’s right to communicate with a wide audience.
Personally, I believe that the banning of Trump’s social media accounts is completely justified, as the evidence pointing towards him inciting his supporters and other right-wing groups to storm a federal building is overwhelming. The right to freedom of speech should not be without its exceptions and consequences, and this is one of the situations where limiting an insurrectionist’s audience is rationalised.
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