Meta has restored the Facebook and Instagram accounts of former US President Donald Trump, ending a two-year suspension imposed in the aftermath of the Capitol riots.
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, revealed the move in a blog post, saying that the public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying — the good, the terrible, and the ugly — so that they may vote with confidence.
“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,” Meta said.
In January 2021, Facebook suspended Trump for supporting persons involved in violent activities at the Capitol the day before.
Facebook is not only the world’s largest social media platform; it has also been a critical source of fundraising income for Donald Trump’s campaign, which has spent millions of dollars on Facebook ads in 2016 and 2020.
The move, which comes as Trump prepares for his third presidential bid, will let him communicate directly with his 34 million followers as well as resume direct fundraising. During his suspension, his fans could raise funds for him, but they couldn’t broadcast advertisements directly from him or in his voice.
After Elon Musk took over Twitter, he was recently reinstated. He has not yet tweeted. Trump has relied on TruthSocial after being prohibited from Twitter and other mainstream social media platforms.
Meta has been the subject of criticism from both the right and left regarding how it handles content moderation
Meta has faced criticism from both the right and left for how it manages content management, particularly how it handles notable figures during times of crisis or unrest.
Conservatives claim that the company’s restriction on Trump and other accounts amounts to censorship, while progressives claim that Meta isn’t doing enough to prevent the spread of hazardous disinformation in real-time.
To help protect Zuckerberg from some of the heat and criticism, the company appointed Clegg to a new job last year that gives him ultimate control for policy choices such as the one to reinstate Trump’s account.