Washington (AFP)

Evicted from major social networks since the murderous assault on Capitol Hill, former US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he was launching a collective complaint against Facebook, Twitter, Google and their bosses, accusing them of being responsible for an "illegal, unconstitutional censorship".

"Today, alongside the America First Policy Institute," an organization that promotes Donald Trump's "America First" policies, "I table, as a principal representative, a major collective action in justice against tech giants including Facebook, Google and Twitter, as well as their bosses Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and Jack Dorsey, "the billionaire announced at his Bedminster, New Jersey golf club.

These three bosses "implement illegal, unconstitutional censorship," he said in a formal speech, behind a podium where his name was inscribed.

Spectators applauded his announcement.

"We are asking the Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida to order an immediate end to illegal and shameful censorship by social media groups targeting Americans," he said.

"We demand (...) the end of the forced silence".

"There is no better proof that Big Tech is out of control than the fact that they have banned the President of the United States in office" on their platforms, he insisted.

"If they can do it to me, they can do it to anyone. And besides, that's exactly what they do," he said, giving the floor to citizens. also saying victims of bans.

"We are engaged in a fight that we are going to win," he promised.

In June, Facebook suspended Donald Trump for two years.

The social network Twitter had also ousted him after the murderous assault on the Capitol during the certification ceremony of the victory of his rival Joe Biden, on January 6.

Before being banned, Donald Trump had nearly 89 million followers on Twitter, 35 million on Facebook and 24 million on Instagram.

"Google and YouTube have deleted countless videos that dared to question the judgment of the World Health Organization" during the pandemic, he also explained Wednesday.

© 2021 AFP