Twitter said Thursday it could start tagging tweets from newsworthy figures such as US President Donald Trump that break its rules, while stopping short of deleting them.

The one-to-many messaging platform used extensively by Trump to fire off comments, some of them inflammatory, said it is exploring ways to add context to tweets considered to be of legitimate public interest but which violate its terms of service.

"Twitter is exploring ways to provide more context around tweets that violate our rules, but are newsworthy and in the legitimate public interest," the company said in an emailed statement.

A day earlier, Twitter's trust and safety chief Vijaya Gadde made similar remarks asked about abusive tweets, which may be from a public figure such as Trump.

Gadde said during an on-stage interview at a Washington Post technology forum in San Francisco that Twitter was looking at ways to "put some context around it so people are aware that that content is actually a violation of our rules and it is serving a particular purpose in remaining on the platform."

Tweets that go too far, such as threatening someone with violence, would be removed no matter who posts them, according to Gadde.

Twitter and other online platforms have faced pressure to remove abusive and hateful content, while at the same time avoiding criticism of acting due to political bias.

Trump earlier this month stepped up claims of political bias by Big Tech firms in a fresh assault on Silicon Valley after one of his key congressional allies sued Twitter claiming it discriminates against conservatives.

Twitter and other Silicon Valley firms have vigorously denied claims of political bias built into their platforms.

Canada's Trudeau sorry for rare show of sarcasm
Ottawa (AFP) March 28, 2019 –

Canadian leader Justin Trudeau apologized Thursday for a rare lapse in his unflappable, everyman persona after responding with heavy sarcasm to indigenous protestors who interrupted him at a party fundraiser.

The normally suave prime minister was speaking at a Liberal Party event in Toronto on Wednesday when the activists unfurled a banner and began chanting slogans against mercury poisoning in a river where they fish.

"Thank you very much for your donation," Trudeau called after the Grassy Narrows First Nation demonstrators as they were being thrown out, aware that they would have had to pay to get in.

"As we know, the Liberal Party is filled with different perspectives and different opinions and we respect them all," Trudeau immediately added, an apparent acknowledgement that he had overstepped.

He was shouted down by angry audience members before he could finish, however.

The reaction — caught on a video which went viral on social media — was in stark contrast to Trudeau's usual show of compassion and grace when confronted by protestors.

"From time to time, I'm in situations where people are expressing concerns or protesting a particular thing, and I always try to be respectful and always try to engage with them in a positive way," Trudeau told reporters in Halifax on Thursday.

"I didn't do that last night. Last night I lacked respect towards them and I apologize."

The government pledged in late 2017 to help fund the construction of a mercury treatment facility for people exposed to the toxic metal over the past 50 years.

But the protestors said their community in northern Ontario is still waiting for that money 500 days later and worry that with an election drawing closer the promise will not be fulfilled.

Trudeau said he has directed his indigenous services minister to follow up on the matter.