NEW YORK—In response to the decision by a New York federal judge that President Trump may not block users on Twitter, PEN America Senior Director of Free Expression Programs Summer Lopez issued the following statement:  

“Today’s decision is both substantively important as a defense of the First Amendment, and symbolically important in reminding us that, as the court states, “no government official—including the President—is above the law.” We welcome the court’s finding that the President’s blocking of individual critics on Twitter represents unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment. Notably, among those blocked is PEN America’s 2018 Literary Service Award Winner, Stephen King. We are heartened by this decision and look forward to its implementation.”

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PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. pen.org

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Anoosh Gasparian, External Relations Coordinator: [email protected]