Twitter boss Jack Dorsey has said banning US President Donald Trump was the right thing to do.
However, he expressed sadness at what he described as the “extraordinary and untenable circumstances” surrounding Mr Trump’s permanent suspension.
He also said the ban was in part a failure of Twitter’s, which hadn’t done enough to foster “healthy conversation” across its platforms.
Twitter has been praised and criticised for freezing Mr Trump’s account.
German leader Angela Merkel and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador – neither an ally of the outgoing US president – spoke out against the tech titan’s move.
In a long Twitter thread, Twitter’s chief said he did not celebrate or feel pride in the ban – which came after the Capitol riot last week.
He reiterated that removing the president from Twitter was made after “a clear warning” to Mr Trump.
“We made a decision with the best information we had based on threats to physical safety both on and off Twitter,” Mr Dorsey said.
He also accepted that the move would have consequences for an open and free internet.
“Having to take these actions to fragment the public conversation. They divide us….And sets a precedent I feel is dangerous.”
