But freedom of speech is not explicitly enshrined in the governance of the internet.

In the US, freedom of speech is enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution. Its outcome could determine how the world's data is curated and who has a voice in political and social debates – which is why all eyes should remain in the fallout from the Trump cases. By May, the American public was split 50-50 broadly along party political lines.īut the debate on when and how companies should take down content is just getting going. Immediately after the ban, for instance, Pew Research Center found that about 60 per cent of Americans agreed that the media companies had done the right thing. In the six months since the event, attitudes in the US have changed about whether the takedowns were the right thing to do in light of an individual's right to freedom of expression. The last days of the Trump administration will be remembered for many things – the former United States president refusing to concede defeat to the victor Joe Biden, the tragic storming of the Capitol by his supporters and, by those following trends in technology and freedom of expression, the removal of his accounts by Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. The censoring of Donald Trump by the biggest media platforms has prompted a pressing focus on the respective roles of rights, algorithms and people in dealing with such cases. Arthur Piper, IBA Technology CorrespondentThursday 3 June 2021

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