The return comes when the two-year suspension expires.
Meta has announced that it will end the suspension of former US President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. However, the company notes that it has “safeguards” in place for its return.
Trump was suspended from Instagram and Facebook following the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, said in a Message from the Meta Newsroom that the suspension resulted from the need to act in “extreme and highly unusual circumstances”.
At the time, Trump was suspended indefinitely. But the company’s supervisory board later recommended a time limit for the suspension, which was set at two years.
Clegg noted that the company believes the risk to public safety has diminished and the suspension can now end.
“Our determination is that the risk has receded sufficiently, and therefore we must stick to the two-year timeline we have set. As such, we will be restoring Mr. Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks. However , we are doing this with new safeguards in place to deter repeat offences.”
What “safeguards” have been put in place?
In terms of preventing a repeat of the behavior that resulted in the suspension, Meta will approach Trump’s account differently. The company says it believes the public should be able to hear what politicians are saying so they can make informed choices.
But following past Community Standards violations, Trump will be subject to the rules like all other users, according to Meta.
“In light of his violations, he now also faces stiffer penalties for repeat offenses — penalties that will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated after civil unrest-related suspensions under our updated protocol. In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violations of content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended between one month and two years, depending on the seriousness of the violation.”
This means that Trump’s return to the platform is not necessarily permanent and will depend on his conduct. It may also face restrictions for posting content that delegitimizes the election or relates to QAnon.
The end of his ban will come with enough time to prepare for the 2024 US presidential election. Twitter also restored Trump’s account in November 2022, meaning he will be able to reach potential voters across multiple platforms, not only on Truth Social, owned by Trump.
Trump back on Facebook and Instagram
Trump is unlikely to continue to snub other platforms in light of the return of his accounts. Although he will likely always post on Truth Social, his millions of followers on other platforms will want to hear from him during the next election.
