Facebook, Twitter Pull Trump’s George Floyd Tribute Clip For Copyright Violation
Image via Andrew Cline / Shutterstock.com
Facebook and Twitter have removed President Donald Trump’s tribute video to George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis cop kneeled on his neck last month, from their platforms.
The video featured photo montages and video clips surrounding anti-racist protests across the US following the death of Floyd. It also included violent scenes during the demonstrations with piano music playing in the background. Throughout the video, Trump’s voiceover could be heard as he spoke about Floyd’s death.
The campaign video was pulled from the social media platforms as the companies had received a dispute under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Instagram, owned by Facebook, also removed the video from its platform.
In response, Trump condemned Twitter for its action to appease the “radical left democrats" and claimed that it was illegal for the company to remove the video. “Revoke 230!” Trump also tweeted in reference to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a law that protects social media platforms from being legally responsible in what their users post.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey replied to the tweet by writing, “Not true and not illegal.”
In an email to Politico, Facebook also shared the same sentiment as it detailed the copyright complaint it had received against Trump’s video. “We received a copyright complaint from the creator under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and have removed the post,” Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed.
According to Politico’s report, a law firm in California had sent in complaints to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube against the video on behalf of an artist it represents. However, a version is still available on YouTube.
YouTube told Politico that the video on its platform is a different one from the clip posted on Twitter. The video streaming company also claimed that the video did not include the “allegedly infringing content upon review,” per Gizmodo.
View the blocked post on Twitter, followed by the video currently available on YouTube, below.
We are working toward a more just society, but that means building up, not tearing down.
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) June 3, 2020
Joining hands, not hurling fists.
Standing in solidarity, not surrendering to hostility. pic.twitter.com/mp8957czvh
Twitter Pulls Trump Campaign Video of President Showing Empathy For Peaceful Protesters https://t.co/5DEIoPHsud They are fighting hard for the Radical Left Democrats. A one sided battle. Illegal. Section 230!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2020
Not true and not illegal.
— jack (@jack) June 6, 2020
This was pulled because we got a DMCA complaint from copyright holder. https://t.co/RAsaYng71a
[via Gizmodo, cover image via Andrew Cline / Shutterstock.com]
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