Twitter labeled a video posted by President Trump of a black toddler and a white toddler — edited with a fake chyron that read "terrified todler runs from racist baby" — as "manipulated media" on Thursday night.
Why it matters, via Axios' Ina Fried: Although Twitter's label on the tweet is weaker than two other recent moves, it is sure to irk the president, who has already criticized Twitter and issued an executive order seeking to limit the legal shield protecting social media companies.
Where it stands: Trump's tweeted version of the video was removed on Friday in response to a copyright claim. Facebook took the video down from its site as well after "one of the children's parents lodged a copyright claim," per CNN.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020
After years of failing to take action against Trump's tweets, this is the third time in recent weeks that Twitter has acted against the president's tweets.
- The first time, the company added a fact-check to a Trump tweet that misstated how California was handling its mail-in voting.
- A few days later, Twitter both labeled and limited promotion of a tweet regarding the Minnesota protests that the social media site found to be glorifying violence.
Our thought bubble, via Axios' Kyle Daly: Twitter seems to be growing more comfortable with checking Trump after years of being criticized for holding him to different standards than other users.
- That’s despite the company's first move to flag his tweets last month appearing to trigger an executive order aimed at undermining legal protections that social media companies say are vital to their existence.
Details: Facebook separately took down Trump campaign ads Thursday that labeled antifa with a symbol the Nazis used for political dissenters.
Go deeper: Trump's big, empty beef with Twitter
