Important reminder: Contrary to @realDonaldTrump's make-believe read on the 1st Amendment, online platforms are not the government, and therefore are free to regulate speech as they see fit. AND THEY SHOULD root out lies and bigotry to protect users and our democracy.

This #ExecutiveOrder is nothing but a flex to scare social media companies into not holding the president accountable to the people.

It's - at best - a temper tantrum from a man who doesn't get how this works, or - even worse - from a man who does get it and is using the bully pulpit for his own selfish interests.

The government can't tell people what to say or not to say, that's censorship. Twitter and other social media platforms can regulate content as they see fit. That's freedom of speech. Let's not get it twisted.

I've been working with dozens of partners @changeterms for years to call on #BigTech to do more to protect its users from white supremacists that are using the platforms to organize and monetize efforts to create white ethno-states. #ChangeTheTerms

That is important work to protect the free speech and safety of people of color, religious minorities, immigrants and women who are constantly harassed by organized mobs just for speaking up for our own rights.

To be clear, that organizing is the exact opposite of what @POTUS is doing here. This is a straight up authoritarian move to remove critique and accountability from the most powerful person in our country. This should be a non-starter for Democrats and Republicans alike.

Here's @freepress's statement from my colleague @GauravLaroia, underscoring that the #ExecutiveOrder is a blatant and unconstitutional attempt by Trump to silence his critics. https://www.freepress.net/news/press-releases/trumps-executive-order-blatant-and-unconstitutional-attempt-silence-critics-and#.Xs_BWZDaD6w.twitter