Facebook will reopen account for former President Trump
Meta – Facebook's parent company – announced that it will reopen Facebook and Instagram accounts for former US President Donald Trump, two years after he was banned from using these social networks.
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Donald Trump's Facebook account. Photo: NBC |
However, Meta stressed that the company will create new prohibitions for Mr. Trump's account to prevent repeat offenses. Previously, Mr. Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts were locked due to accusations that he incited riots at the US Capitol building in 2021.
On January 25, Meta said that after determining there was no longer a serious risk to public safety, the company could reopen Mr. Trump's accounts, but with a few caveats.
“We will restore Mr. Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks. However, we will also apply new protections to prevent repeat violations,” Meta stressed that if violated, Mr. Trump could face heavier penalties.
According to Meta's new policy, if Mr. Trump continues to violate content, his account will be locked for one month to two years.
According to NBC, Mr. Trump recently filed a request with Meta to try to reinstate his account, weeks after announcing his plans to run for president again in 2024. His campaign team said that the Facebook ban had “significantly distorted and inhibited the public,” and requested a meeting to discuss the issue.
While it's unclear whether that meeting took place, in a statement announcing the end of the suspension of Mr Trump's account, Meta admitted it did not want to hinder open, public and democratic debate.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump used a variety of social media platforms to campaign and win. After winning the election, he continued to use his personal Twitter account to make official announcements. Although his Twitter account was locked after the Capitol riots, Twitter reopened it in November 2022 after billionaire Elon Musk took over the company. Although the former president has not posted any posts on his newly restored Twitter account, a source close to him told NBC that his campaign advisers are currently brainstorming ideas for posts to return to the platform.