When is it OK to block on Twitter? York Region politicians reject social media rules

Is it a 'great tool', or ripe for abuse?

Yorkregion.com
Aug. 12, 2022

Are Twitter and Facebook our modern--day town hall?

If so, should politicians be required follow rules when they want to show folks the door?

These days, you’re more likely to connect with local politicians through social media than face--to--face, but York Regional councillors disagree on what rules they ought to follow in this virtual sphere.

Some, like Newmarket Mayor John Taylor, say digital platforms function as public space. Residents hear from their representatives and weigh in on the issues. Rules are essential to help them deal with toxic or troublesome posts.

Others, like Richmond Hill councillor Carmine Perrelli, say ‘hands’ off; their social media is the equivalent of a door--to--door flyer, and they should have full control.

The debate stems from a complaint lodged last year to the region’s Integrity Commissioner by Richmond Hill resident Jason Cherniak, who was blocked from viewing Perrelli’s Twitter page when he was critical of the regional councillor’s position opposing COVID--19 lockdown measures.

Cherniak argued that politicians are supposed to represent everyone, not just those who support them. Closing off voices who disagree means they aren’t doing their job, he added.

York Region Integrity Commissioner (IC) ruled that Perrelli’s action breached the council’s code of conduct but stopped short of sanctioning him, saying regional council had no guidance on this “relatively new area” of social media.

Instead, the IC recommended council develop a policy framework for when and how they may block people.

That policy framework was submitted, with the Integrity Commissioner’s support, to council June 30, outlining when blocking might happen (hateful content, trolling, spamming or misinformation, for example) and how to go about doing so ---- with the proviso that blocking should only be a last resort.

These guidelines generated fierce debate but, in the end, 13 of council’s 21 members voted them down.

“This is overreach; some might even describe it as censorship,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, summing up the majority of councillors’ view. “It should be left up to us how we decide to interact with constituents.”

But residents who have experienced blocking disagree.

“Unless the comments contain profanity or are threatening in nature, politicians should not be allowed to block people from commenting or viewing their accounts simply because they don’t agree with their views, or are critical of the job they’re doing,” said Teresa Quattromini, whose comments, critical of Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilaqua’s handling of the pandemic, were removed from his Facebook and Instagram pages.

“Twitter is a great tool for a politician,” said Keswick resident, Jane, blocked by York--Simcoe MP Scot Davidson for her tweets about him visiting seniors' maskless during the lockdown.

“What better way to find out how people feel and how to meet their needs? If you’re in the business of being a politician, you should expect differences in opinion.”

Oak Ridges resident Carol Davidson said she’s had her remarks blocked by councillors “who seem to prefer cherry--picked positive feedback. That's PR, not a public town hall.”

Taylor argued there are better ways to deal with problematic posts: remove the comment if it’s a one--off, or mute them if it’s a frequent problem.

This allows the person to continue hearing what their elected representative is saying publicly, he said.

“Members of council should strive to have social media sites as open and accessible as possible.”

“I couldn’t disagree more,” Perrelli countered. “The second we implement this policy, we’ll get dozens and dozens if not hundreds of complaints ... I'm not going to give the Integrity Commissioner that kind of power. This is a ridiculous recommendation ... ripe for abuse.”

“What's next?” Scarpitti added. “Are you going to are you going to tell me who I have to send my email blast to? Who I have to give my newsletter to? This just goes too far.”

Experts don’t agree, either

Bhupesh Shah, a Richmond Hill resident and marketing instructor with U of T’s School of Continuing Studies, says a newsletter is one--way communication, while social media is two--way ---- and should function as a town square.

“How can you claim to be the voice of the people in a democracy when you are filtering what you hear?” he said.

Natasha Tusikov, assistant professor in York University’s Department of Social Science, argues social media is not a virtual public square.

“Unlike someone coming to your constituency office or a meeting in the community, you don’t know who these people are.”

They could be trolls or commenters pushing a specific issue, she said.

Tusikov suggests a better approach would be an online page with a time delay for politicians to moderate comments.