Two years after banning Donald Trump from Facebook and Instagram, Meta has reinstated his accounts on both platforms. The former President was booted off most social media platforms following the Capitol riots on Jan. 6 2021 for allegedly inciting violence through a series of controversial tweets. Most other leading social media platforms, like Twitter and Snapchat, also banned Trump's accounts following the riots, but Twitter reinstated his account in November after the takeover by Elon Musk. Trump, however, continues to use Truth Social as his sole social media mouthpiece, and is yet to return to Twitter.
Meta this week announced plans to end Donald Trump's suspension from Facebook and Instagram, and said that his accounts on both platforms will be reinstated in the coming weeks. However, the reinstatement comes with a caveat, with the company stating that there would be "new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses." Explaining its decision, the company said, "The public should be able to hear what politicians are saying, so they can make informed choices." The decision comes following growing pressure from Trump and his allies for his accounts to be reinstated, as he prepares for the impending Republican primaries ahead of the 2024 Presidential elections.
Donald Trump's Return To Facebook And Instagram
Apart from reinstating Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts, Meta also announced a new policy related to the suspension of public figures. According to Nick Clegg, the company's President of Global Affairs, Trump's earlier violations mean that he will face "heightened penalties for repeat offenses." The same standard will also apply to "other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest."
The decision to reinstate Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts has come in for high praise and heavy criticism in equal measure. While free speech advocates say it is imperative for the public to have access to messages from political candidates, critics have accused the company of lax moderating policies. They are pointing out that the decision could provide the former President with a megaphone for more misinformation and incendiary statements as he makes another run for the White House in 2024.
Following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, Trump was initially suspended from Facebook and Instagram for 24 hours, but that was increased indefinitely following an internal review. The long-term ban, however, was highly controversial, and was criticized even by the company's own Oversight Board, which slammed the company for not following its own rules and avoiding responsibilities. Either way, now that Donald Trump is back on most of the major social media platforms, it will be interesting to see if he will be any more careful with his posts than he was earlier.
Source: Meta