Freedom of speech ends when someone spreads misinformation, hurts others: Joy

Prime Minister's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has said everyone has the right to freedom of speech, but that freedom ends when someone spreads false information that ends up hurting others.

"No one has the right to hurt others," he said noting that Twitter and other social media in the US have banned US President Donald Trump along with several other people and organisations that spread false information -- leading to violence.

Joy said this is the limit of freedom of speech in the United States.

He wanted the US Embassy in Dhaka, as well as embassies of other western countries to take note of this.

"We do not want to see hypocritical statements from you in the future regarding freedom of speech in Bangladesh," reads a post he shared on his verified Facebook page on Saturday.

For all those who complain about Bangladesh's Digital Security Act, in the US the government lets private companies dictate, he said.

"In Bangladesh, we believe that it should not be up to private companies, but up to the courts to decide," Joy mentioned.

Twitter banned President Donald Trump's account Friday, citing "the risk of further incitement of violence" following the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on Wednesday, AP reported on Saturday.

Twitter has long given Trump and other world leaders broad exemptions from its rules against personal attacks, hate speech and more.

But in a detailed explanation posted on its blog on Friday, the company said recent Trump tweets amounted to glorification of violence when read in the context of the Capitol riot and plans circulating online for future armed protests around the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

The social media platform has been under growing pressure to take further action against Trump following the Wednesday violence.

On Thursday, Facebook suspended Trump's account through January 20 and possibly indefinitely, according to AP.