In UNGA speech, Trump urges countries to protect their data

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday highlighted that the United States is taking steps to protect its data and security, urging countries to do the same during his address at the UN General Assembly here.

First Lady Melania Trump and his daughter Tiffany Trump were present amidst the audience as Trump gave his address, during which he also pitched for nationalism amongst other things.

He launched a scathing attack on communism and socialism, claiming that the ideologies have killed 100 million in the last century.

"These totalitarian ideologies combined with modern technologies have the power to exercise new and disturbing forms of suppression and domination. For this reason, the United States is taking steps to better screen foreign technology and investments and to protect our data and our security. We urge every nation present to do the same," he said, after calling for democracy in Venezuela and labelling the Latin American country's President Nicolas Maduro as a "Cuban puppet".

"Freedom and democracy must constantly be guarded and protected both abroad and from within. We must always be sceptical of those who want conformity and control. Even in free nations, we see alarming signs and new challenges to liberty. A small number of social media platforms are acquiring immense power over what we can see and over what we are allowed to say," he added.

"A permanent political class is openly disdainful, dismissive and defiant of the will of the people. A faceless bureaucracy operates in secret and weakens the democratic rule. Media and academic institutions push flat out assaults on our history's traditions and values," Trump stated.

"In the US, my administration has made clear to social media companies that we will uphold the right of free speech. A free society cannot allow social media giants to silence the people. And a free people must never ever be enlisted in the cause of silencing, coercing, cancelling or blacklisting their own neighbours," he also said.