Less than a week after Twitter added a warning label to one of Donald Trump's tweets for "glorifying violence," Snapchat is also taking action. The New York Times reports that Snap Inc. announced it would no longer promote the President's account on Snapchat, citing concerns that his public comments could possibly incite violence.
The decision was reportedly made over the weekend, after people in cities across the country joined in protest against the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers and racial injustice writ large. Snap didn't specify whether Trump's account had violated any rules, but users can still subscribe to the account to see content shared by Trump's team. Essentially this means that Trump's account will no longer be found on Snapchat's Discover home page meant for news and high-profile stories. Prior to the change, his account would appear on the home page alongside stories from celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Kevin Hart.
"We will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice by giving them free promotion on Discover," said Snap spokesperson Rachel Racusen. Snap reportedly made the decision after Trump made ominous threats to protesters on Twitter, including comments regarding the use of "vicious dogs." In a message sent to employees, Snap's chief executive Evan Spiegel announced the company "cannot promote accounts in America that are linked to people who incite racial violence."
The messaging from Snap stands in stark contrast to Facebook, with founder Mark Zuckerberg taking more of a hands-off approach. Despite the lack of promotion from Snapchat going forward, his campaign has embraced the platform recently as part of a push to engage younger voters.
Trump's account was recently subject to some controversy after his team repurposed T.I.'s 2008 track "Whatever You Like" for an anti-Joe Biden jungle.
