Twitter says videos of Trump suggesting disinfectant as COVID-19 treatment don't violate policy
Clips of the US president's coronavirus task force briefing are still floating around the social media platform.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Trump asked if disinfectant could be used to treat coronavirus patients.
Twitter has said videos of US President Donald Trump floating the idea of injecting disinfectant or using ultraviolet or "very powerful" light inside the body as a COVID-19 remedy do not violate its coronavirus misinformation policy. A Twitter spokesperson reportedly said Trump's statements were a wish for a cure rather than a call to action, according to a Reuters report Friday.
Twitter has blocked the hashtag trends around injecting disinfectant, however.
"If Tweets or Trends about #COVID19 include a call to action that could potentially cause someone harm, they will be removed," Twitter communications tweeted Friday. "We will not require every Tweet that contains incomplete or disputed information about #COVID19 to be removed. As an open service, this is not scalable and limits active discussion."
Trump had made the suggestion during a White House coronavirus briefing Thursday afternoon. Commenting on the ability of disinfectants like bleach and isopropyl alcohol to kill the virus on surfaces, the president said, "I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute ... is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning?"
