22: No political ads on Twitter, violation of free speech

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter Inc, in a series of tweets announced that political advertising on the platform would be banned. The reach of the political messages, he said, should be “earned“ and not “bought”. The move is of significance given the misuse of social media to spread fake news that can influence public opinion. But it also raises the question if such a ban is justified in a democracy that swears by the principles of free speech. A middle ground is perhaps what is required.