Meta announced on Friday that it would remove restrictions from Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, which were imposed following the violent incursion by his supporters at the US Capitol in 2021.
Meta announced that it is lifting additional restrictions placed on Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. These measures were initially imposed after Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol in January 2021, and he was found to have praised those involved in the violence on social media.
Initially, Trump’s accounts were suspended indefinitely in response to the Capitol attack. They were reinstated in February 2023, but with a condition that any future violations could lead to heightened penalties. Meta has now decided to remove these additional restrictions.
Meta stated in a blog post that they believe in allowing political expression, especially from presidential nominees, on their platforms. They clarified that all US presidential candidates, including Trump, are subject to the same Community Standards as other users of Facebook and Instagram, aimed at preventing hate speech and incitement to violence.
Trump, who is the first former US president to face a criminal conviction, had also been banned from Twitter and YouTube. These bans were later lifted, and Trump currently uses his own social media platform, Truth Social, as his primary means of communication.
On his Facebook profile, which boasts 34 million followers, Trump shares content originally posted on Truth Social. This includes invitations to rallies and campaign videos, maintaining a robust online presence despite previous platform restrictions.
Meta’s decision to lift the additional penalties signifies a shift in how they handle Trump’s presence on their platforms, aligning with their policies on political expression while upholding standards against harmful content.
