Can Trump Shut Down Twitter? Here’s What Happens if He Tries

The oversimplified answer is no, the president cannot decree that a private business whose actions he doesn’t like must cease operations if they don’t please him. As Georgetown University law professor David Vladeck put it to CNN,”This is just another example of Trump thinking that the Constitution makes him a king, but it doesn’t.” Vladeck also at one time served as a senior official at the Federal Trade Commission.

But that doesn’t mean Trump can’t use his powers in other ways to make things difficult for companies like Twitter. He just can’t do it with the flourish of his Sharpie on an executive order. A draft of the order, which could change, does seem to provide insight into how the president plans to make life more difficult for companies like Facebook and Twitter.

The draft calls for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make changes to the Communications Decency Act, specifically Section 230. In its current form, this section of the law protects online platforms from liability for the content users post. Its repeal could open up the possibility of social media companies being named in lawsuits over libel, harassment, or defamation, to name a few scenarios.