New Delhi, Delhi, India
Twitter on Tuesday hid a tweet from US President Donald Trump saying that it broke rules over abusive content. This was the first time that the social media platform moved against the president for a tweet.
Also read: Trump threatens force against DC protesters, to issue order on US monuments
Donald Trump had tweeted about using "serious force" against protestors in Washington DC. He wrote: "There will never be an 'Autonomous Zone' in Washington, DC, as long as I'm your President. If they try they will be met with serious force!"
Earlier, Twitter labelled other Trump tweets as misleading and violating its standards on promoting violence.
Protesters on Monday also declared a Black House Autonomous Zone - referencing a Seattle area known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone or the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone - near the White House in front of St. John's Church, which had a small basement fire during earlier protests.
Twitter said in a statement to AFP it took the action Tuesday because the tweet violated its policy against abusive behaviour with "a threat of harm against an identifiable group."
The action by Twitter requires users to click through to read the Trump tweet, with a tag on the message that it "violated the Twitter rules about abusive behavior" but that it would remain accessible "in the public's interest."
Twitter's move has escalated battle between Trump administration and the social media platforms. The American president has accused these platforms of bias against conservatives despite his following.
The president has already signed an executive order which could lead to more government oversight of social media firms, despite doubts about its legal authority.
The American government under Trump has signalled that it wants to regulate law that gives online services immunity from content posted by others, a move which could open the floodgates to litigation.
Earlier, Facebook removed a Trump ad as it used a symbol of Nazi Germany for political prisoners. Facebook said it violated the platform's policy against "organized hate."
(Inputs from AFP)