Donald Trump has signed an executive order targeting social media giants Twitter, Facebook and YouTube as he bids to control the online companies ’unchecked power’.

The president announced at the Oval Office on Thursday that the move was to ’defend free speech from one of the gravest dangers it has faced in American history’.

He said: “A small handful of social media monopolies controls a vast portion of all public and private communications in the United States.

“They've had unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter, virtually any form of communication between private citizens and large public audiences.”

It comes after Twitter fact-checked two of his tweets on Tuesday, suggesting they contained false information. 

The tweets highlighted references to mail-in ballots being 'fraudulent,' claiming 'mail boxes will be robbed' in California ahead of the Presidential election in November. 

In response the President accused social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook for ’stifling free speech' and 'interfering with the 2020 Presidential election'.

Trump also threatened to close down platforms who 'silence conservative voices'.

Twitter have since hidden another tweet from Trump’s profile on Friday after he warned those protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, saying: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts."

Twitter hid the tweet as it violates rules about glorying violence, but invited readers with a link saying 'learn more' as it may be in the 'public interest for the tweet to remain accessible'.

The order comes under section 230 of the Communications Decency Act targeting platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, who are not generally held responsible for content posted by their users, and means they won’t get sued for content they leave up.

Trump plans to put pressure on Twitter by weakening section 230 and calling for legislation from Congress to ’remove or change’ the laws.

Trump added: "Currently, social media giants like Twitter received unprecedented viability shield based on the theory that they are a neutral platform, which they are not.

“We are fed up with it. It is unfair, and it’s been very unfair.”

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Marco Rubio believes that the platforms do take on the role of a 'publisher' when they fact-check.

Rubio said: "The law still protects social media companies like Twitter because they are considered forums, not publishers.

"But if they have now decided to exercise an editorial role like a publisher, then they should no longer be shielded from liability."