How quickly, in a crisis, the unthinkable can become reality. If it might have seemed fanciful a week ago that a US president could incite insurrection or face a second impeachment in a single term, so, too, would the prospect of social media platforms barring the “leader of the free world”. The bans by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram on President Donald Trump raise profound issues — of freedom of speech, and the precedents they may set for less free societies. While the “permanent” nature of Twitter’s suspension is questionable, however, not acting would have created even bigger risks.
在一场危机中，先前难以想象的事情也能够迅速变成现实。如果说在一周前，一位美国总统煽动叛乱或者在一届任期内面临第二次弹劾听起来还像天方夜谭的话，那么众多社交媒体平台封禁这位“自由世界领袖”，那时看来也是难以想象的事情。Twitter、Facebook、Instagram封禁美国总统唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)账号之举，引发了围绕言论自由、以及它们可能为不那么自由的社会开创何种先例的激烈争论。然而，虽然Twitter是否应该“永久”地封禁特朗普账号值得商榷，但不采取行动将会造成更大风险。