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On Wednesday, Meta announced that former president Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts will be reinstated in the near future.
The decision comes two years after he was kicked off the platforms for violating their terms of service.
"Two years ago, we took action in what were extreme and highly unusual circumstances," Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg wrote in a statement. "We indefinitely suspended then-US President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts following his praise for people engaged in violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021."
He explained that while the company's Oversight Board upheld the decision, they criticized the "open-ended nature" of the ban. In response, a time limit of two years was imposed, at which point the decision was to be re-evaluated.
Earlier this month, Meta conducted an assessment of the risks to public safety posed by potentially bringing Trump back onto the platforms and determined that "the risk has sufficiently receded."
"As such," Clegg explained, "we will be reinstating Mr. Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks. However, we are doing so with new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses."
"In light of his violations, he now also faces heightened penalties for repeat offenses — penalties which will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest under our updated protocol. In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation."
"We know that any decision we make on this issue will be fiercely criticized," Clegg concluded. "Reasonable people will disagree over whether it is the right decision. But a decision had to be made, so we have tried to make it as best we can in a way that is consistent with our values and the process we established in response to the Oversight Board’s guidance."
Since getting kicked off mainstream social media, Trump has created his own platform from which he communicates with fans. In December, his Twitter account was reinstated, however it has sat dormant since then, leading many to wonder whether his Facebook and Instagram accounts will do the same.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
The decision comes two years after he was kicked off the platforms for violating their terms of service.
"Two years ago, we took action in what were extreme and highly unusual circumstances," Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg wrote in a statement. "We indefinitely suspended then-US President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts following his praise for people engaged in violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021."
He explained that while the company's Oversight Board upheld the decision, they criticized the "open-ended nature" of the ban. In response, a time limit of two years was imposed, at which point the decision was to be re-evaluated.
Earlier this month, Meta conducted an assessment of the risks to public safety posed by potentially bringing Trump back onto the platforms and determined that "the risk has sufficiently receded."
"As such," Clegg explained, "we will be reinstating Mr. Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks. However, we are doing so with new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses."
"In light of his violations, he now also faces heightened penalties for repeat offenses — penalties which will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest under our updated protocol. In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation."
"We know that any decision we make on this issue will be fiercely criticized," Clegg concluded. "Reasonable people will disagree over whether it is the right decision. But a decision had to be made, so we have tried to make it as best we can in a way that is consistent with our values and the process we established in response to the Oversight Board’s guidance."
Since getting kicked off mainstream social media, Trump has created his own platform from which he communicates with fans. In December, his Twitter account was reinstated, however it has sat dormant since then, leading many to wonder whether his Facebook and Instagram accounts will do the same.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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