Business owners and online service providers are taking a wait-and-see approach to the upcoming government shutdown, but some are worried about the potential impact of a partial government shutdown.
| AP Photo Businesses and online services are taking some time to assess the impact of the government shutdown on their business.
| ReutersBusinesses and tech firms are bracing for a partial shutdown, even as many are working to mitigate the fallout.
But the threat of shutdowns is not limited to online services.
And some are wondering whether the government will go beyond limiting the government to certain government services and end up restricting access to social media, email and other online services that many Americans rely on to keep in touch with family and friends.
Businesses in general are taking the time to reassess their operations as a result.
In a series of tweets Tuesday, Google, Twitter and Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg urged their users to check their email accounts and to check social media accounts to see if they had been affected by the shutdown.
“If you haven’t checked your email accounts, check your social media,” Zuckerberg wrote in one tweet.
“If you are affected, contact us to find out how to get back online.
If you are not affected, please check back in the next few days.”
The tweets came after the White House said it was considering limiting the scope of government-supported internet access.
“We are monitoring developments closely, and as we do so we will update our users and others with information as we learn more,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
Sanders also told reporters the government has been monitoring social media and email activity and has ordered the Social Security Administration to review the Social Media Management System (SMS).
The federal government will also take steps to address the impact on some of the largest social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
Twitter is not commenting publicly on the government’s plans.
But its chief executive, Jack Dorsey, said Tuesday that “social media is a very important platform” for people to communicate.
“It’s a critical platform for our democracy.
And I’m going to keep the conversation going,” Dorsey said.”
As we continue to monitor social media activity, we are confident that we can provide the necessary tools to address any issues,” he added.
The social media companies have been on high alert after President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) last week imposed new restrictions on government workers’ access to their accounts, saying they were necessary to protect against a “lone wolf” attack by terrorists.
Trump also tweeted Tuesday that he would use the shutdown to “close down the government.”
“When the shutdown begins tomorrow, we will close down the @federalgovernment and restore the government,” Trump tweeted.
“Do not let the government shut down again.”